The Fallen God
by KatKing1979
Summary: Banished from Asgard and stripped of his magics, Loki must learn to trust another to survive on Earth. However, when he learns his new friend's secret, he promises to go to any end to try to save her life.
1. Punishment and Banishment

Chapter 1.

Loki walked toward the Throne in chains, his face calm and uncaring as he looked up at the stern face of Odin. The Old King curled his fist, angered by the small smirk on the prisoner's lips. He paused briefly, glancing at Frigga and chuckled. There was no way out of this trial for him, and he knew it. His defiance knowing no boundaries then, the stolen treasure that now stood in the halls he thought himself born into. The lies etched in the masonry around him, and the painful truths revealed written in a trail of blood.

"Hello Mother. Have I made you proud?" Loki sneered, not caring if she felt pain and watched her pick nervously at her hands.

"Don't make this worse for yourself Loki." Frigga replied and he snorted in mock humor. He felt a prod at his back, and laughed at the chains that bound him. Her lies were the worst of all, bearing the title of Mother when all she did was wear a false crown in his mind. She could have told him, broken the vow of silence she took when she was given him by Odin. She could at any time have taught him not to hate the Jotun, but instead allowed him to see a part of himself as the enemy.

"Define worse." He said and Odin called for their attention and Frigga's eyes filled with sadness.

"I will speak with the Prisoner." Odin commanded and he was prodded on, the chains rattling behind him and he stood before the Throne. He swung one leg out, bringing the shackles around his ankles together in a mock salute. The clang of metal on metal amusing him, and he grinned up at his false Father.

"Loki, where ever you go, there is chaos, pain, misery..." Odin started and Loki cut him off and laughed harshly.

"Can we move this along? I believe I have an appointment with the executioner." Loki laughed and Odin frowned at the defiance. "It is not that I enjoy our little conversations... It is that.. well... I don't."

"I have tried to be lenient on you because of Frigga, she begged me to spare you and you have left me no choice." Odin said and Loki felt his stomach sink, but his face betrayed nothing, he was ready for death and welcomed it with open arms. "For your crimes, I banish you. I strip you of your magic, and give you a Mortal Life. Only one thing will undo this curse, and it is to perform one unselfish act as you live on Midgard among those you sought to enslave, do this and I shall welcome you back and restore you."

Loki felt nothing but rage, his fists clenching and Odin waved his hand. His body jerked forward and he screamed as his very powers were ripped from his core, his lifespan shortening and he gasped as the magic swirled about him and he fell shaking to his knees. The shackles vanished and he ran forward, the Guards holding him back and he screamed in rage. He was nothing without his power, a shadow of himself and no longer caring if he died. He screamed again, pointing a finger at the old man and struggled.

"You lied to me all those years! You could have said something, but you continued your charade! Teaching me that I was to hate what I truly was, teaching Thor to kill all those like me! I hope you rot on your empty throne Odin, for Ragnarok will come and I will be all that is left to tell the tales of your deceit!" He screamed, his muscles straining against the stronger men who held him back. The pulled at his arms and he raged on, Frigga covering her mouth in shock and a tear falling from her eye.

"Take him to the Bifrost, and ensure he falls somewhere a piteous Mortal may find His rotten carcass. Should he survive." Odin said, and Loki struggled against the men. His strength sapped, and he felt so weak against the men holding him back. He was at a loss, his screams echoing as Frigga looked on at her son with more tears in her eyes.

"Look one last time, for you may never see her again." Odin said and Loki looked back at her. His hair flipped about his face, and he raged on.

"I would cry tears of blood at what you have done to me! Did you even search? Or were you so blind, caring only for Thor?" He shouted at her and she shook her head. She opened her hands and he spit at her, the guards shoving him back.

He was thrown into a cart outside the Palace walls, his hands circling the bars of it and he watched the shining city fade into oblivion, vowing revenge as Odin palmed a crystalline stone in his hand. Inside it was locked Loki's powers, his immortality, and he hoped one day to give it back to him.

If only the Fallen God learned the wrongs he had committed.

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Elizabeth Baker sat in the Doctor's office, the sound of the ferry horn in the distance the only sound as she looked at the MRI's of her brain. The mass was the size of a marble, and was inoperable at best. She rubbed her eyes, doing her best not to sob as the clouds rolled across the Seattle skyline and threatened to dump buckets on them. She shook her head, her blonde hair falling in waves down her back as she picked at the cuff of her green sweater.

"Are... are you sure? It can't be treated by radiation or anything else?" She asked and her pale blue eyes filled with tears. "It is so damn small really, how can it give me such bad headaches?"

"Ms. Baker, I really am sorry to give you this news, but we can't treat it without doing further damage." Doctor Singh said, his Olive complexion looking pale as she slipped off the examination table and walked to the window. She wore her nice black skirt, this should have been a good day. Maybe stress caused her headaches, not a tumor.

She was only twenty four.

Too young to die, she was supposed to get married, have kids, a car or a dog. Not a damn brain tumor.

"You could still have five to six years, this is not necessarily a death sentence Miss. Baker. And medical technology makes advancements every day to improve the chances of patients." He said and she looked back at him. The first drops of rain started hitting the window and she nodded silently. He scratched out a prescription, handing it to her and she took it in a shaking hand.

She was too damn young to die.

"Thank you Doctor Singh." She said and he shook her other hand. She looked at his dark brown eyes, seeing them water a bit behind the gold, wire framed glasses and he blinked back the tears. He was a compassionate man, and he was showing it fully.

"Make another appointment with my secretary, one month. We will see then how your headaches are, and if you are experiencing any more symptoms." He said and she gave him a weak smile.

"I will." She replied, walking down the hall and stopping at the restroom to throw up. Five years could be all she had, and now she saw every second on the clock as a tick closer to her death. She washed her face and lost two minutes composing herself, studying her healthy cheeks and full lips. Two minutes lost to adjust the hair clip in her blonde hair, that she would not get back.

She had to make every moment count, not let anything become trivial in her last five years. She had to do something that would be her legacy, some good that would change a life for the better.

She had five years to make her life count for something.

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Loki was dragged from the cart, his strength failing him as he struggled against the hands that dragged him to the gate and threw him to the ground. He screamed, glaring at Heimdall as the dark skinned man activated the bifrost and promised that he would have revenge on the man.

Hatred surged through him, and he then felt as if someone ripped the air from his lungs. He felt the familiar drag around his middle, and was pulled backwards into the blinding light and he fell through the galaxy. He shouted, his body connecting with something very hard and he struggled to breathe. His ribs ached, and he tried to get to his feet and his left leg gave up under him.

Darkness.

Stars.

Pain.

It shot up his leg and into his spine, the limb unable to support his weight and he screamed. He was on Earth, and the people here would most likely kill him if they found him. It was night, so he had that on his side and he needed to find cover. He crawled then, his fingers scraping in the mud and making way toward a field of fragrant flowers to his right and away from approaching light to the left. His mind went into panic, and he crawled on. Leaving a bracer in the center of his landing spot and hid between rows of low plants by lying on his stomach.

He watched the light get closer, and he saw a figure bend down to pick up the fallen piece of armor with a shaking hand. The frame of it was thin, with the distinct swell of breasts and hips that only women had. The light she carried shone on it so she could make out the patterns and she looked around. In the distance, a coyote howled and he saw her sweater and skirt in the darkness.

Green, and black.

She turned circles, shining the light around and she stopped. The beam directly on him and he froze, the pain making him shiver and she took a cautious step forward. She held out the piece of gold metal and he saw it shake as she tried to hand it to him, his eyes fixing on her and she swallowed hard. She took another step forward and he held his hand up to block some of the light from his face. His concern now that she would use his own bracer to crush his skull and end his life.

"Are you... are you that guy from New York?" She asked, her voice soft and he nodded. Part of him accepted his fate, the other part regretting that he would never have his revenge on Odin or his kin.

"Yes. Please... Don't scream." He said, his voice shaking as spots filled his vision and he started to black out. She led with the armor in her hand, it shaking and he held up his hands to show her they were empty. She set his bracer down next to him and she backed away, her hands shaking and she stood silently. He closed one hand on it, and he blinked a moment as he tried to clear his head.

What was she doing? Was she going to call the authorities and have them lock him in a cage to study him? Would she run away for her life and leave him?

"What do you want here?" She asked and he blinked at the question. She only stood over him, taking small steps toward him and he looked back up at her. Was she soft minded? Why did she not run?

"Are you hurt?" She asked him, and he looked at the girl and nodded. He felt sick, and he lay the side of his face in the mud and he looked up at the flowering plant next to him. The last thought on his mind before losing consciousness was the name of the flower.

Lavender.


	2. Don't Panic

Chapter 2.

Elizabeth walked toward Loki, keeping slow and she bent over to see if he was still breathing. He was a mess, his hands covered in the muck he lay in and his clothes drenched and sodden. She sighed to herself, looking back at the Celtic design in her lavender field and fought the urge to cry. She wanted to help someone, but this felt like a lost cause already. How was she supposed to help someone who hated her entire race, and how was she going to keep who he was a secret?

She paced a moment, watching his back rise and fall as he lay unconscious. Debating if she was the right person to take care of him, stopping and feeling somewhat sorry for him at the same time as being afraid of what he could do to her. She decided then, that she would help him but if he got to be too much for her to handle, she would just call the police and have them deal with him. It was a winning situation in the end, and it would keep her from feeling too guilty about failing if she ultimately did.

She ran along the rows, her rubber boots splashing through puddles as she made her way to the barn where she stored supplies for her daily work. She entered it then, grabbing the large, red wagon with the fold down sides for hauling bags of fertilizer in and two boards. She then flipped the switch to warm some water in the barn shower, knowing he was going to need cleaning off and she did not want to shock him with a blast of cold and freak him out. She added a rake to her load, tossing it aside again and getting mad at herself for thinking that hiding evidence was more important than helping an injured person.

She plodded back to where she left Loki laying, sizing him up and thinking how to move him onto the wagon. She was definitely outweighed by him, her five foot two inch frame proving that fact. And she used the boards to make a ramp to drag him up and onto the wagon. She positioned it, rolling the prone God onto his back and pulled him under his shoulders up the makeshift ramp. Her boots slipped in the mud, and she nearly dropped him on top of herself, but she eventually got him loaded. His feet dangling off the end and his arms draped over the side of the wagon unceremoniously.

She pulled him back to the barn, closing the doors behind her and stripped off his heavy coat, tossing it aside and unbuckled his breastplate. She would hose everything off later, and she focused on getting him washed off and checked for all injuries as a priority. She had his torso bare, and she pulled one boot off, when she noticed his other leg was bent at an odd angle. She felt the sizable lump at the knee and grimaced to herself. The leg was dislocated at the knee and would have to be put back in position for it to heal properly. But this posed another problem, he was out cold and she needed leverage to fix the leg.

She had an idea then, and she ran two leather belts under his shoulders to keep him stable and secured them to the nearby tractor. She then pulled with all her might on the boot, feeling the leg straighten and the bone move back into place. She pulled the boot the rest of the way off his foot and felt through his leather pants for any further injuries with the leg. She felt none to her relief, and reached for the lacings of his pants and stopped.

"Please dont be going commando, please dont be going commando." She said, and hoped she was not about to embarrass herself. Bracing herself for anything, she bit the bullet then, unlacing them and working them off his hips. Her eyes met a certain part of his anatomy and she turned bright red, groaning inwardly at the sight.

"I will have to teach him about underwear." She said, throwing the pants aside and grabbing a towel to cover him with. She then picked up the sprayer, testing the water on her hand and started with his head and worked her way down. She grabbed a bottle of soap then, working it into his hair and washing it and stood in shock at the covering of bruises on his chest and arms. There was a large cut on his arm, and she cleaned it with soap and water making sure it was not too deep and needed stitches. All of the injuries were minor, but she still worried at her lip about her new problem about his nudity and vanished into the barn to find a certain box of clothes that belonged to her old boyfriend. He had left a week ago, screaming at her about not putting out and stormed off to go to a friends. After a couple of days, he called to tell her it was over and he found a new girl. She boxed everything up, putting it out there, just in case he came back looking for it.

She found the box quickly, dragging it out and found a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt in the box. She ran with them, hurrying before he got a chill and saw the towel fell off him when he shifted.

"It is going to be hard to explain why I am dragging a naked man around my property." She said to him and rolled her eyes. "My first naked guy, and it has to be you."

She dried him off, turning around and hanging his clothes up. Hosing them off and then working on getting his leg immobilized. She found some bandages in the first aid kit she kept in the barn, wrapping them around his knee and ensuring it would not move. Then bandaged the cut on his right arm, applying a topical antibiotic before laying it across his chest. He shifted again, his unconcious mind trying to escape the pain and she steadied him before he fell off the wagon and onto the floor. She noticed his smooth chest, and his lack of body hair then, shrugging it off as he being a God and grabbed the sweatpants to save herself further embarrassment. She shimmied them up his legs and over his hips, then wrestled with his upper body to get the t shirt over his head and on him.

"You are killing me jerk." She said and sat on a stool to rest, rubbing her face and sighing. "What am I doing? You are a criminal, I could loose everything helping you, the government could take my house, this farm, everything."

She looked at him then, seeing how vulnerable he was and closed her eyes. She needed an aspirin bad, and still had the problems of getting him into a bed before he woke up. Then hiding his landing pad, if that was what it was called.

Standing up, Elizabeth Baker pulled herself together and pulled the handle of the wagon toward the door. She walked across the field toward the yellow, three story Victorian house and looked at the five stairs leading toward the front door. She managed somehow to get him on the porch, and ran the wagon back and secured the barn. Returning, to find him laying on his side on the floor with his eyes still closed. She looked at her watch, it was almost four in the morning and she still had a lot to do. She looked at the sky, seeing more clouds roll in and back and her uninvited guest, deciding that getting him into a bed was priority and then dealing with the field. She would be in bed by five if she hurried and started dragging him through the front door.

"Thanks for being so heavy." She groaned and pulled him under the shoulders again, getting him inside and closing the door after him. She looked at the stairs, sighing and thanking herself for never installing carpeting in the foyer or a runner on the main stairs. She could slide him much easier, and have him in the guest room hear hers in no time.

She lifted his torso again, kicking off her muddy boots and setting to work again. Hoping this would be easier than it felt at the moment.

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He awoke, feeling nothing but pain. His entire body feeling abused and he groaned. He fought the nausea that came with so much suffering, and took in all the details he missed on first opening his eyes.

His clothes were gone, replaced with a loose fitting trousers of gray cotton, and a tunic also made of cotton what was dark blue. He wondered where his clothes were, and if this were standard Prison Garb for Midgard. The room around him was comfortable but small, a large bed with a quilt of blue and red cotton, a pitcher of water and glass on the side table, lace curtains over the windows, and the sight of the lavender fields being rained on outside.

There was a plush chair covered in light gold upholstery, and over the back of it was a blanket of a maroon wool to the right of the foot of the four posted bed. To the left, there was a wardrobe, and it was open to reveal a darkened frame inside it and below it a clock blinked happily in green numerals. He tried sitting up and failed, the pain in his back being too much and he just lay back and stared at his surroundings.

If the Midgardian woman had called the authorities, at least his prison here was comfortable. It was not luxurious by any means, but it was better than the lack of privacy on Asgard he would have been subjected to in the dungeons.

He reached for the water, seeing his arm bandaged and his other wounds tended to with care. His leg ached though, and he sipped the water to wet his throat and tounge. It tasted good, and he saw the slices of lemon and apple floating in the pitcher, he then saw the dried lavender in a ceramic vase and set the glass back near it. He lay, deliberating attracting attention and saw a bell next to the pitcher with a note.

_If you wake up first, ring this. I will bring you food soon._

He looked at the brass bell, his fingers brushing the folded card and admired the neat handwriting it was written in. He was not going to give anyone the satisfaction of knowing he required assistance though, and ignored the bell. He watched the rain for a long time, the way it streaked across the aged windowpanes that were warped with time and sighed. The pain was getting worse, and he had to urinate, hunger was also edging in but he still refused to ring the bell.

He would starve before he asked a Mortal for help.

It was then that he smelled something that made his mouth water, and the woman from the previous night appeared in the doorway. She stared for a long moment, her blue blouse hanging over the black trousers that fit her like a second skin. He stared back, the tray in her hands holding what seemed to be a meal, and she took slow steps in the room. He sat up, she taking a step back and she gave him a warning look and picked up a black, flat object off the tray.

"You just calm down." She said and pointed the object at him. "One wrong move, and I can blow your head off with this."

"I know a Midgardian communication device when I see one." He replied coolly, her eyes rolling at him and she sighed. "I have no current plans to kill you, but it could change."

"You are not exactly in any position to make threats right now. The way I see it, you need my help and are pretty helpless." She replied and he rolled his eyes, she put the tray in his lap and he saw what looked to be some sort of warm grain mash, cut fruit, and a glass bottle of something called Pom. Next to the drink, lay a small, white tablet and he eyed it suspiciously.

"And what position are you in to be my jailer, Mortal? I am a God, not a slave to your whims." He snapped back, looking at the food and glared at her. She took a step to the side of the door, gesturing toward it and he watched her hands.

"There is the door, you are welcome to leave if you can walk." She replied and crossed her arms. "My name is Elizabeth, not Mortal. I also suggest eating before you take the Oxy, it is a super strong pain killer, but will make you throw up."

"So that is what this is?" He said and tapped the tablet, she nodded and sat in the yellow chair. Watching him and gestured for him to eat, she watched him silently and put one brown slippered foot into the chair and closed her eyes.

"Yeah. If you need to pee, the bathroom is to your left. Just flush when you are done, and don't make a mess on the floor." She said and he picked up the spoon to eat the warmed oats. She had put honey over it, and it was slightly sweet. He found the taste pleasing and was soon looking at an empty bowl. He opened the glass jar, taking an exploratory sip of the contents and found it tasting like pomegranates. He picked up the tablet, and she focused elsewhere as he put it in his teeth and she looked back.

"Swallow it whole, it tastes awful if you chew it." She said and he pushed it toward the back of his mouth with his tounge. He filled his mouth with the juice and swallowed the Midgardian pain remedy and returned to the cut fruit.

"I suppose you want gratitude for the food." He said finally, and arched an eyebrow. She shrugged, picking up a long, silver wand and pointed it at the frame. She pressed a button on it and the picture came to life, a man on it talking about the weather outside and then another appearing to talk about a new Marketplace called a Mall opening.

"Not really." She said and let out a long breath. She seemed depressed to him, and her eyes closed for a moment. "I just want to know why you are on my Lavender Farm, and when you are going back to wherever you came from."

"I am Exiled, and I will be leaving as soon as I am healed. I do not feel the need to explain anything more to you, and doubt that you would understand any of it." He replied and she stood up and walked over to the bed. She pointed at the wand, handing it to him and he saw an array of buttons on it.

"In case you get bored." She said and pointed at the buttons, one at a time. "This turns it off and on, this changes the channel, and this adjusts the volume. Have fun."

"Where are you going?" He asked her then, taking the device and she taking the tray of food. He grabbed the jar from it, and she yawned into her elbow.

"I'm tired, you gave me a ton of work to do last night, and I barely slept. I am in the room across the hall, ring the bell or shout if you need help." She said and he watched her take the tray out the door and down some stairs. He glanced down at the silver object in his hand, testing it on the frame and feeling little pain as he realized how injured he truly was. His head spun a bit if he turned it too fast, but otherwise the tablet helped greatly.

He tested the frame, pushing a button and the image on it changed to some odd looking puppets talking to children about the letter floating above them. He pressed it again and a man and woman argued, the woman striking him and he pressed on. He settled for a drama about two persons of authority called the FBI searching for a madman called the Unibomber, he found the man intelligent and found himself wanting to know why this other man hated people of means so much.

He settled back, his nagging bladder forcing him to hobble using the chair from the corner into the Bathing Chamber and he found where he was supposed to relieve himself. He sighed, wondering what would happen next and returned to the bed. He sipped the juice, watching the Drama play out and waited for the woman called Elizabeth to return.

At least he was not in the hands of the Midgardian Authorities, that was going his way. Perhaps, this woman called Elizabeth may be of help to him after all.


	3. A Royal Pain

Chapter 3.

He sat back, his eyes opening from the light doze he did not realize he was in to hear the woman enter the room again. She had another tray with her, and this one had something served between two slices of bread, and she placed it in his lap. He looked at the tray, finding some sort of crispy sliced vegetable with seasonings on them, a small bowl of apples, and the aforementioned meat and bread main course. He looked at the blue and red can sitting on the tray and she glanced at the Drama and nodded silently, walking over to the low table and picking up the towels and bars of soap she had brought in.

"Unibomber. I can't say that this is a good idea for you to watch. It sort of makes me nervous, given your track record." She said and walked into the Bathing Chamber. He heard a groan as he picked up the food and took a bite of the cold meat and tasted tomato and cheese on it.

"You have to push the silver level down to flush your waste away!" She called out and he rolled his eyes. He tasted the crispy vegetable and found the flavor truly unique, his taste buds enjoying the food and he eating it as if it were going to vanish. She returned to the room and sat back down in the chair, watching the screen and he regarded her a moment.

"I shall remember about the handle for next time. And you did not put limitations on my entertainment." He said, looking at the blue can and holding it up for her. She shrugged, standing and taking the can from him and pulling up the silver ring on top of it. She set it back down on the tray and he took an experimental sip of the liquid. He coughed, his eyes watering and she grinned at him briefly and sat back down.

"When you finish, I will help you into the bath to clean up. I got some more clothes out of the barn, and have them in the dryer now. They were in a box for a few days, so they smelled a little gross." She said and rubbed her eyes. She was brewing another headache and she saw Loki nod while watching the television. "I should change the bandage on your arm too, make sure you don't have an infection."

"If it pleases you to do so, I do not think that your Midgardian viruses will have much of an effect on me. I am a God." He replied, finishing the meal and wiping his hands on a napkin. She was still torn between calling the cops and trying to help him, and his attitude was not helping her decision making process at all.

"Well, for a God, you sure got beat up." She snapped back and rubbed her temples. "Shall I draw your Royal Bitchiness bath now? Or do you want to stew in your own stink?"

"Your attempt at humor is wasted. However, I would greatly enjoy a relaxing soak." He said and she got up. She helped him into the room, watching her turn handles and begin filling the white, claw footed tub with warm water. She put two blue washcloths on a wooden tray that stretched across the basin, laying a cake of soap next to them and tested the temperature of the water. He removed the shirt, and she took it from him and she turned the water off before leaving again.

"You need more help getting in?" She asked and he looked down at his knee as she unwrapped it from the bandage. His eyes went wide at the swollen, purple and black mess and he glanced back at her. He was not liking the idea of her seeing him naked again and it showed, and Elizabeth saw that vulnerability in his eyes again.

"I believe I can manage. I will use the chair to balance." He said and she pushed the chair toward him. He stood on his good foot, struggling for a moment with his trousers and he heard a sigh. She walked back over and tugged them off his hips and she let him step out of them while he sat on the edge of the tub.

"I saw you naked last night when you were passed out. I had to get the mud off you somehow, and you are not really in the position to be bashful." She groaned and he lifted his legs over the side and slipped into the water. He leaned back against the recline and sighed, his embarrassment of a Mortal woman seeing his body fading with the warm water seeping into his aches.

"Thank you." He said and she paused as she picked up the clothes and looked back at him. She nodded, walking out the door and she shrugged.

"Wow, you can be nice. Try not to fall asleep, I will bring you some clean clothes soon. I make the soap with the lavender here on the farm, if you need anything else... I am going to fix the bed up and be outside." She said and closed the door save for a crack and he picked up the square of soap. He could see actual Lavender buds in it and it smelled devine, the smooth surface shining a bit and he worked it against a cloth to clean himself off. He heard the frame turn off, and shifting outside as he washed himself. His thoughts turning over his options, and not seeing many at the moment. He assumed he would just have to endure, and bide his time until he could walk without pain.

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Elizabeth unwound the bandage from his arm, taking a towel and laying the arm on top of it and cleaning it with warm water and a clean cloth. She picked the white gauze away, and looked at him to gauge his reaction. She wanted to make sure she was not hurting him and was happy to see the bland expression on his face. He flipped through the channels over her head, settling on another movie and she glanced back at it and saw that he found the movie Elizabeth.

"I never pegged you for a person who watched television." She said, using a clean piece of gauze to apply more antibiotic cream to the cut.

"Television?" He asked, watching the red haired woman plead a Queen for her life. He liked the fairer woman instantly, disliking the ugly Queen.

"Yes, that is what that thing is called." She replied and he nodded at her. "Just be careful what you watch, it might rot your brain."

"I can see how it would lack any substance, but this Play is rather interesting." He replied and she went back to work on his arm. She placed two gauze pads over the cut and began winding the bandage around it to hold them on. She was careful to get a good covering and he kept his attention on the screen, he absorbing the story in front of him.

"Almost done here. Do you want another painkiller?" She asked and he shook his head. The woman was being taken back to an estate and the Queen had allowed her to live, but held the young woman under threat of execution.

"No. I am still comfortable." He replied and she picked up everything before leaving. She stopped, looking back at him and she sighed.

"I have to run into town for groceries and more bandages. I think you are also going to need some stuff on top of that, I have a partial list already. I shouldn't be long, and will let you know when I get back." She said and he nodded at her. "Don't answer the door if anyone knocks, and don't draw attention to yourself."

"Believe me, I plan to stay at rest here." He said and she rolled her eyes. He went back to the act in front of him, hearing her leave and a few moments later he heard a rumble of an engine starting. He reclined back on the pillows, his eyes following the Play and he found himself thinking about Asgard and felt a bit homesick.

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Frigga opened her eyes from her meditations, her depression since losing her found Son growing and she thought over what she had observed. The Midgardian woman was helping him, showing such kindness even, but Loki was treating her like a servant at times. He was now laying on a bed in her home, doing nothing to assist the girl and she felt a bit sorry for the young woman. She was suffering through her kindness, and it was wearying on her to be so very compassionate toward her guest.

She was beautiful as well, but there was something very off about her. Something in her observations telling her that she was unwell, going to great lengths to hide an illness of sorts. She wondered if that would be how Loki could do something unselfish, by helping this girl. Perhaps he would satisfy Odin, and she could have her Son back.

She thought about his injuries, wiping a tear and walking to her chamber doors before remembering all that he said to them before his exile.

"You lied to me!" Echoed in her mind, his anger driven by pain and humiliation caused by the people he once trusted. She opened the locket he had given her when he was young, the curl of his black hair across from the finely painted portrait of him and she held it to her breast. The pain of thinking him dead, turning to anger as she walked and knew that she had to speak to one person in particular.

Heimdall.

Why did he not report that Loki was alive until her Son was on Midgard? Why did he remain silent for two years and never utter a word to alert them?


	4. Routine

Chapter 4.

He heard the rain drumming on the windows and another sound outside, his eyes following a white vehicle as it approached the house. It stopped, the person in it getting out and he heard a knock from downstairs. He went still, hearing the knock again and the distinct sound of Elizabeth's shoes on the hardwood floors click toward the door. She was wearing a lavender skirt and a white sweater, he liked the colors with her hair but did not admit it openly to her. He had learned y observing her that she tended wear garments that flattered her often, but some days dressed down. He did not mind though, as long as she remembered he existed.

He had been there for eight days now, and the sound of anyone knocking on the door still made him tense. He was more comfortable with her seeing him nude when he bathed, and could bear to look her in the eye when she spoke to him. She helped him dress sometimes, and now he lay on the bed in a pair of blue, heavy cotton trousers she called jeans, and flannel tunic in red, green, and yellow, and a pair of black sneakers that he found her.

He managed to get out of the bed earlier when she went to a place called WalMart to get him some different toiletries, and he found her Chambers. Amazed to see that they were rather nice, the bed four posted like his, but covered in a pale rose canopy and the posts made to look like tree branches forged in metal. Her Duvet was cream and patterned in blue and pink flowers with matching pillowcases, and her wardrobe held only clothes. She had a stained glass set of French doors to the left of the bed that opened onto a balcony, the glass cut to look like dragonflies and on the small balcony was a chair and table to have tea on. He also noticed that she had her own Bathing Chamber as well, and he looked under her sink to find toiletries that she used in her grooming. He did not mean to pry, but he was curious about this Mortal who assisted him so much. He limped down the hall and found that the Master Staircase went up another floor, and down the hall a little further was another guest room decorated in blues and yellows. He looked down the stairs and debated looking around the first floor, and decided it would be best to not attempt it until his knee improved more.

When she returned with several plastic bags in tow, and she gave him several packages of short trousers that he was to wear under his clothes that were made of cotton and a stick of perfume for under his arms. He put them aside, and agreed to her demands he use them and she handed him a few books that she borrowed from the library for him to entertain himself with. He had read the first few pages of one, setting it aside and finding it dull and becoming engrossed by the second as he read about Mortals building a Church in what they called the Middle Ages.

It was becoming routine for them to have small conversations when she brought him his meals, and he was becoming comfortable with his surroundings. He had mastered the multitude of channels on the television, and sometimes found himself enjoying historical Dramas and informational programs over the other forms of entertainment that was offered.

He heard the door close, and he saw the truck lumbering down the gravel and dirt driveway. Relaxing and returning to the book in his lap and he rubbed his sore knee unconsciously. A crack of thunder arced across the sky, and he jumped and stared out the window into the storm. The lights above him flickered and he cursed Thor under his breath, wondering if this was the mark of the Oaf's arrival. Pushing the thought aside, because he knew that the fool would make no time for him. He looked up at the door, seeing Elizabeth standing in it and set the book aside.

"Storm is getting worse, we may loose the power so I am putting out candles." She said and set a jar on the table near him. "You want a snack or something? I got some cookies at the store."

"I will try them, I imagine that you will light the candles if you need to." He replied and she nodded. She walked back down the stairs and returned with a tray again with a plate for three flat, baked sweets and a cup of a warm drink on it. He smelled the drink, looking up at her and tasted it. The sweet, creamy chocolate drink coated his tounge and made him nearly widen his eyes. It was warm, and smooth to the taste.

"Hot cocoa, it is kind of good with chocolate chip cookies." She said and lightening arced across the sky. He noticed that she had put on a heavier, cream colored knit sweater and it complimented her outfit well.

"It is very good." He said and she looked at him in suprise.

"I better remember this, an actual compliment from you." She said and smiled. The roll of thunder shook the house, and the light above them flickered out and she sighed. "There they go. I better start lighting, there is no telling when it will come back on."

"Hopefully soon." He said and jumped at the next crack of thunder. She noticed and he sighed, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. "I am not overly fond of thunderstorms."

"Judging Thor, I really dont blame you. Do you think this is his fault?" She asked and she shook his head. The willow tree in the yard whipped about in the strong wind and she took out a device and ran her thumb along the top of it, igniting a flame in her hand and lit the candle next to him.

"Not likely, he cannot be bothered with me. He is to be King of Asgard, and I am to sit on this planet and be forgotten." Loki replied and she frowned at his statement. She shook her head and set the glass jar back down, pointing at it.

"I think they will remember you." She replied and tapped the glass. "I only have a Vanilla Yankee Candle left. I ran sort of low from putting them in the bathrooms, it should make everything smell like cake."

"I will try to enjoy that." He said and opened his book again, turning to the page he left off on. "This book is interesting, I will have it back to you before you have to return it."

"Thanks. Paying late fees on Library Books is an expense I can't really swing right now." She replied and stood quietly for a while. He looke up at her, seeing that she was a bit lonely and he nodded. He really did not want to have a conversation with her, but he felt a bit obligated to do so. She did deserve and explanation for his presence, and to know the terms of his exile but did not want to admit his humiliation . She turned from the window, walking out of the room and he could hear her lighting candles around the house, the one next to him filling the room with a scent of sweet baked goods.

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The storm lasted until well after dinner, and Elizabeth sighed as she looked out at the darkening sky. She walked up the stairs, finding Loki laying asleep on the bed and she checked the candle. Only a little bit of it had burned down, so she left it and walked toward her room. Before she could leave him, she froze at the sound of his voice and turned back to see him looking g at her.

"What?" She asked him and he grinned.

"I was saying that I was wishing you a good night." He said and she nodded, her eyes falling on the book open across his chest.

"Oh. Goodnight, I guess there is not much else I can do without light. Shout if you need anything." She said and he nodded. He turned onto his side and pulled a blanket over himself and closed his eyes. She leaving and changing her clothes for bed. As soon as she lay down, her eyes closed and she fell asleep for the night.

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She woke hours later, a strange muffled sound from the bedroom across the hall and she blinked as she sat up. She heard a moan, maybe fear and anger in it as it filtered to her room. She found her robe, crossing the hall and peering in on Loki.

He lay on his back, his face contorted in his nightmare and he tossed onto his back and pulled at the blankets. Elizabeth ducked back, and he sat upright and panted to calm himself. He saw her, and she stepped out of the shadowy hall and into his room.

"You okay?" She asked him and he nodded, he looked at her in her nightgown and she licked her lips.

"I am well, no need to be concerned." He replied and she rubbed the sleep off her face. She leaned against the door jamb, looking at him and he tried not to stare at the lace and silky material of her shift. The pearl gray material tempting him to look and he lay back down on the bed.

"You sure? You were making some pretty messed up noises, sounded like you were having a nightmare." She said and he waved a hand at her dismissively.

"Yes, I am quite sure. You are hardly dressed to be in the presence of a man as well, and should worry about your modesty." He shot back and she shrugged, closing the robe around her and blinking.

"For a jerk, you sure are worried about making me look bad." Elizabeth poked back and he looked at her. "You have been cooped up for days here, not much human contact because I have been busy. Tomorrow is the Universiry District Farmer's Market, and I have a stand I set up there. Maybe you can tag along and helped bag the soaps and shampoos I make for sale here."

He lifted his head and stared at her, his eyes blinking at her proposal and he gave a quick nod. He sat up and rested his arm on his good knee, tilting his head to the side. On one hand, he had to be polite and converse with those pathetic creatures, and on the other, he was starting to feel caged in. He was needing fresh air, and missed the feel of sun on his skin most of all.

"I would like to go." He said and she smiled at him.

"Was that so hard?" She teased him back, turning and walking back to her bedroom, from across the hall he heard him snort and she laughed to herself.

"Dont believe that you forced me to that choice, I made it of my free will!" He called out across the hall and she laughed harder at the statement. Her head hurt again, and she blew off his attempt at being the one in control and rolled her eyes.

"Whatever helps you sleep." She said and took off her robe to lay back down. She looked at the darkened doorway, curling in her side under the covers and fell back asleep. Across the hall, Loki lay awake and thought about his revenge on Odin, the memory of the nightmare of Thor and and the Warriors hunting him like an animal causing him to shiver in the dark room.


	5. Public Appearances

Chapter 5.

"You ready?" Elizabeth asked, poking her head in Loki's room to see him sitting on the bed. He tied his shoe, glancing up and nodding at her.

"I suppose that I am." He said and stood up slowly, his leg was healing slower than he expected it to. He thinking that it had something to do with the stripping of his magic and immortality, cursing Odin mentally when pain shot up his leg. He sat back down, holding the knee and bit back another string of curses.

"Take it slow, you don't want to blow the knee out again." She said, walking over and pushing the chair. "Maybe you could go down the stairs on your butt, and I can put you in the wagon to get you to the truck."

"No, I am humiliated enough by this condition, and do not need any further embarassment." He groaned, the pain subsiding and she crossed her arms. He pulled himself up using the chair, and limped toward the door. She stepped back at his glare, letting him pass with her hands up and shrugged.

"I will not get in the way then, you totally seem to have it." She conceded, following him slowly. He limped out the door and toward the stairs, planning his descent. He put both hands on the railing, hopping down the first one and landing on the next. He repeated the action, making it to the bottom and resting as his heart thumped in his chest. He groaned, looking back up at Elizabeth as she walked toward him with his brown, hooded sweater over her arm. She was wearing a rose colored, off shoulder blouse with embroidered swirls in the same color. Her skirt was a pearl gray, and her flat shoes were the same color as the blouse. He looked down at the gray cotton trousers he wore with the black Nike shoes she gave him, disliking them for how plain they were. She had found him a Polo styled shirt with a collar in green at a store, and he did like the comfortable cut of that, but there was no respect to be taken wearing these clothes at all.

"You need a minute or two?" She asked him and he looked around the first floor of the house. It was decorated much like the upstairs, lace window coverings, a plush couch in dark blue in one room to accent the dark paneling. A Dining room with a dark wooded table and eight, high backed chairs and a matching buffet on one wall, the walls painted sage green with dark oak paneling and a stately fireplace. It was actually a lovely home, but a cottage compared to the castle he was used to.

"I can proceed." He said tersely, walking toward the heavy, dark wood door and let her open it. The brass handle glinting as she pulled it and the sight at the bottom of the stairs made his mouth fall open, a wheeled seat waited for him blue and silver chrome winking in the morning sun.

"And what exactly is that for?" He said, pointing at it and she rolled her eyes at him. She stepped down the stairs, turning it so he could see it better and she gave it a push.

"It is to get you around, and way less humiliating than the wagon. My Dad broke his ankle a few years ago, I almost forgot we had it." She said and he hopped down the steps toward it, he raised an eyebrow at the chair and shook his head.

"Don't be foolish, I cannot be seen riding in that. I cannot even move it by myself." He said and she sighed at him in exasperation. He stared at her and she walked to the front, sitting down and using hand holds on the wheels to propel the chair forward.

"Yes you can move it by yourself, and it is not humiliating. Give it a try, and stop being a pain." She snapped back, standing up from her demonstration and gesturing for him to sit.

"I do not think so. I am a Prince, and a great Magician, I have my dignity." He said and she laughed at him.

"Oh yeah... A real Prince of Darkness. Remind me to show you a certain video that Tony Stark uploaded to YouTube, it makes you look more like the Squire of Dimness when the Hulk uses you as an Anger Management Doll." She shot back and his mouth fell open in horrified shock at how she had seen it.

"He... showed it to others?" He stammered out and Elizabeth nodded. "You are jesting Elizabeth, and I will not stand for it!"

"Call me Liz, all my friends do. And if you will not stand for that, then sit in the chair. It is an hour from Graham to Seattle, and we are killing daylight." She replied, and he let out a huff. He limped over to the chair, sitting down and put his good foot on the platform for it, lifting his bad leg to let it be cradled straight out by the other one. She walked behind him, pushing the chair toward a battered, red Jeep Cherokee and he groaned at it.

"Is that your conveyance?" He asked her and she stopped, walking in front of him and crossing her arms.

"Is there anything you are not going to complain about?" She asked him and he shrugged, his eyes falling back on the vehicle. "It is a reliable car, and holds everything we need for today. Including this chair."

"Very well. Onward." He said and she opened the passenger door for him. He stood carefully, and turned his back to the seat to get in and she helped him maneuver his leg. He got in with no problem and she reached across him to put a restraint on him, buckling it at his side.

"Seatbelts save lives." She said, closing the door before he could protest and loading the wheeled chair behind him before walking around the vehicle to her side. She climbed up into her seat, hooking her own restraints and inserting a key into a hole by the wheel he assumed was to control the vehicle. He put the hooded sweater on, looking out his window and letting out a huff. He thought about how she asked him to call her by another name, wondering what she meant by saying that her friends called her by that moniker. He watched the dirt driveway give in to a paved road of smooth black and was grateful for the smoother ride, his leg aching from the strain of moving about. He closed his eyes and he noticed a slowing of the vehicle, she turning toward a building with a stylized "M" over the sign.

"Want an egg McMuffin? I need a coffee to keep me going." She asked him and he shook his head. It was officially the longest conversation they had ever shared, and already he was tired of it. He vaguely registered her ordering through a box and then getting her drink. This girl was of no consequence to him, why did she care if he starved? Why did she help him to begin with? Mortals were strange creatures, and this on was proving to be subtly stranger. She dropped a bag into his lap, he opening his eyes as she drove on and he looked down at it.

"Eat, and I got you an Orange Juice to drink. I don't want you passing out or getting sick on me." She said and he blinked back at her, opening the back and removing a wrapped sandwich and looking at it.

"What is this?" He asked her and she laughed a bit as she turned back onto the paved road.

"A Sausage Mcmuffin with egg. It is a food group somewhere, I just don't know which one." She said and he took a bite of it. He wrinkled his nose at the food and ate another large bite.

"It is passable, a bit slimy for my liking." He replied and she laughed, the vehicle accelerating down the road. They passed a sign with the legend that they were driving toward someplace called Federal Way and Kent, his eyes storing information away for later.

"Vitamin Grease. If you eat too much it will make you fat, welcome to Earth." She laughed, he rolling his eyes and watching the evergreen trees pass them as they rode on.

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"Hand me another clip." She said, standing on a ladder and reaching her hand down for one. She held one side of a sign printed with the legend "Rivers Edge Farms" in green, and decorated with painted lavender plants. He dug in the bag as he sat below her, putting a black clip in her hand and she secured the corner to the fold out canopy. She stepped off the step ladder and admired her work, making sure the sign was straight.

"Why do you do all this? It makes no sense to me, are you not able to use you land holdings to gain some wealth?" He asked, and she folded the ladder to put it back in her Jeep. She laughed, shaking her head and looked at him as she unloaded two tables and set them on the ground to unfold them.

"I guess you have different ways of paying for things where you are from, but here, I need to eat. So, this is how I make my money to pay for the food and the Pom Juice you have become addicted to while laying in my spare room." She said and unfolded the legs of the table and set it up. He nodded, reaching into the vehicle for one of the tablecloths in lavender and put it in his lap.

"I suppose our societies are quite different, which makes me believe that you were in need of stronger leadership." He groaned, and wheeled the cloths over to the table as she snatched one out of his hands with a glare.

"We will debate that one later." She said and spread the cloth over the table. "Can you unload the gift baskets? I like to put those in the back because they are so big."

"I suppose." He said and took three of the wicker baskets out of the hatch and set them in his lap. He put them up on the table and let her arrange them as he returned to the last two, he saw a metal box among the things she brought and set it in his lap, putting a box of lavender lotions and skin creams on top of it and wheeled himself back over.

"Thanks." She said and unloaded his lap, taking the parcels and placing price tags in front of her wares. "This is going way faster with your help, I will have to treat you to some Macrons and a Chai Tea later from Melanie."

"I don't like to feel useles." He said and returned for another load. Before long, the Jeep was empty and Liz handed him the metal box and a key. Loki took both objects from her and set the box in his lap, she looked serious about the contents of the box and he put the key in his pocket.

"Don't let that box out of your sight." She said and he frowned at her. "It has the cash in it, and the card reader for my phone. If anyone steals that, I am up a creek without a paddle."

"What creek?" He asked and she shrugged.

"Figure of speech, it means I am in a lot of trouble." She said and Loki nodded at her. "If anyone wants to buy something, let them. You can make change from the money in there, but tell them that I am parking the car and will be back to take cards. They get a free lavender sachet with every purchase too."

"Are you always this overbearing?" He asked and she rolled her eyes at him.

"Only on days that end in "Y", just don't cause trouble." She said and got in the vehicle to move it. He laughed to himself, appreciating her humor for a moment and saw a young woman holding a bar of the soap in a gauze bag. She smiled, selecting a lip balm and handing him some of their paper currency.

"I want to buy these." She said and he took the money from her. He put her items in a purple handled bag and gave her back the appropriate change, adding a sachet of lavender buds to the purchase and she grinned at him with a blush.

"Thank you." He said politely and she giggled again at him. Her blush deepening, and he felt a bit confused at the girls mannerisms.

"You are cute." She said and walked off with her bag, he frowned at her observation and pushed his hair back over his shoulder. Another woman walked up to him, holding more money in her hand and she grinned at him. In her other hand was a bottle of the lotion, and two bars of soap, and a jar of bath soak.

"I think this is enough." She said, her eyes on him and she grinned widely. She had her red hair tied up in a messy bun and she blushed at him as well.

"Let me see." He said and put her items in a bag, mentally adding them up and he looked at the money she gave him. "Yes, it is."

"I love this soap, it smells so good and buy it every time Liz comes up to this Market." She said and he handed her his change. She grinned, watching him add the sachet and handed it to her. He opened a box to replace the items he sold, and saw a dark haired woman looking at him. She handed him some money for the bar of soap, and giggled.

"Hi." She said and he took the money from her. She giggled, adding the soap to her reusable bag and blushed as she took the sachet from his fingers.

"Thak you for your purchase." He said and she giggled again, walking away with a shy wave. He wheeled himself around the front of the stand, putting new items out and he saw another woman holding three lip balms, a bath soak, and a bottle of shampoo and conditioner. She smelled the candle, and added it to her arms and smiled at him.

"Hello." She said, and he offered to take her selection from her. "You are really good looking."

"Thank you?" He said and she smiled at him, her eyes taking in his being in the chair and she looked sympathetic to his plight. "I will put these in a bag for you."

"Thanks. Do you take cards?" She asked and Loki looked at her.

"Elizabeth is parking the vehicle now, and she has the items necessary for the task. If you don't mind waiting, she will be here shortly." He replied and she dug into her wallet for the hundred dollars for her selection.

"I have cash. Don't worry about it, I want two bars of the soap to make it an even hundred too." She said and he added them to her bag, she gave him the money and he watched her leave. His mind took in all the attention women were giving him, confusing him and he shook his head to put out more items that were sold off. He sat near the stand, making two more sales before Elizabeth returned and he watched her frustration at her task make her moody.

"I made sales while you were gone." He said and Liz took the box from him. She opened the lip and counted the money, her eyes widening at the currency.

"Wait, you sold two hundred dollars woth of products?" She asked and he nodded, a blonde woman walked over and Liz put the money back in the box neatly. She shook her head and blinked at him in awe, and he watched the attractive woman stand over the table and she sighed.

"Hey Liz." She said and popped her gum. "I see you brought a new Charity Case, and are wearing a new dress. Did someone splurge at their usual Goodwill?"

"Sara." Liz said and she rolled her eyes. "Being nice is easier than being mean."

"Yeah, too bad you are struggling, my stand is always the big draws at these things. See you in Olympia?" She said and Loki looked over at the women's stand. He saw the sign, "Vintage Chic" on it and saw a girl looking at her soaps at her stand and frowned at the woman. The girl glanced at him, and she put the soap down and pointed to her friend. Both girls walked toward him and he grinned, and his dislike for the woman grew.

"Yeah, I will be there next weekend." Liz replied, glaring at the woman and the girls walked over to look at their collection of items. Both of them giggled and glanced at Loki, Sara walking back to her stand and talking to two older women who stood and admired her wares. The girls bought a lip balm and a soap each, walking away and Liz sighed to herself.

"Trouble with that other woman?" He asked and Liz nodded, rubbing her face and putting on her straw hat. She crossed her arms, looking at the cash box she set on a chair and wanted to cry.

"You could say that." She replied and looked up to see a woman holding several items and she took the money. Loki bagged her items, and she smiled at him as she walked away.

"I assume you don't want to talk about her." He said and Liz nodded her head. He saw an attractive man with brown hair walk over and kiss Sara on the cheek, his build similar to his own and he realized where the clothes he was wearing came from.

"We should focus on getting some happy customers, not on the competition." Liz said and he glared at the woman, hating the man more and he looked up at Liz. She set up her phone to take the cards, laying it down and she sat in the chair.

"Very well then, I did impress you however with the wares I did sell however." He said and she laughed, shaking her head and rolling her eyes.

"Don't let your head get too big, but thanks for the laugh." She replied and a woman stood over the table and gave sidelong glances to Loki. She blushed when he noticed, and handed Liz the items she had chosen. She took the money, counting out the change and he handed the giggling lady her lavender bag and she walked away. Another woman took her place, and Liz stared in mute surprise at the sudden interest in her soaps.

"If this keeps up, I may sell everything we brought today." She said and shook her head, she took the money from another woman for a pillow spray and a bottle of the Bubble Bath.

"I wonder if that would be such a bad thing." He quipped, and put the items to replace the ones sold in his lap. He watched as a small group of women began to hover about the stand, making selections and took a mute pride in the few who looked at the other stand.

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"Why was it not reported that Loki was alive?" Frigga asked, looking at the watcher and he stood in silence. He gazed at her, his amber eyes taking in her questioning and annoyance and he kept his silence.

"Why do you not speak now? You see everything in the Nine Realms, but do not answer my questions." She said and folded her hands and regarded Heimdall. "He was my child, ripped from my arms and thought dead."

"I saw him deny you as his Mother." Heimdall said and closed his eyes. "He is lost to you now My Queen, never to return."

"He will return, I know him better than you and Odin. I raised that man, and pray he does not suffer as he takes his punishment with dignity." She snapped back and raised her head in pride, he looked at her and returned to his watch. She leaving and setting her resolve to restoring her family.

"The Mortal is dying. I know you see that in your meditations, she will be the cause of some strife for him." Heimdall said and Frigga pressed her lips together, turning again to return to the Castle.

"You do not know Loki as well as I do Watcher, I suggest you keep your post more dutifully than you have." She chided, walking away. She would get her son back, and make the amends to him he was owed. She swore it, writing her promise in blood.


	6. Macarons and Tea

Chapter 6.

Liz walked back through the crowd, a white box under her elbow and two cups in her hands. Loki watched the stand across from them, the man being openly flirtatious with Sara and gauged Liz's expression as being one of sadness. She handed him one of the cups, putting the box on a clear corner of the table and opening it to reveal several brightly colored cookies.

"Dig in, they are so good. Especially the green ones, they taste like apples." She said and Loki selected a blue one, sipping the tea she gave him. He watched the man walk toward them, his hands in his pockets and he ducked under the canopy.

"Hey Liz." He said and ran his fingers back and forth on the table in front of him. "Can we... you know... talk about stuff?"

"Michael, I really don't have much to say to you. You dumped me, moved in with Sara, end of discussion." She replied, Loki watching the exchange as if he did not exist. "It is not like we were serious or anything, you act as if I should be throwing myself at your feet."

"I... just wanted to see if you were O.K." he replied and Elizabeth nodded, eating a blue cookie.

"Yeah. I'm great." She said and pointed at Loki. "Have you met my new friend David?"

"Sup Bro." Michael said, looking at Loki with wide eyes. "Are those my shoes?"

"Airline lost David's luggage, you never came back for your stuff so I let him borrow some of it." She said and Loki waved, gauging the man and thinking about how he could stop the man if he attempted to attack Elizabeth.

"I want that shit back." He said, pointing at Loki. "Obviously, you wanted to rub in that you got a new boyfriend. You humping him? Or are you the frigid ice queen you were with me?"

"If you came over here to chase off my customers, good job. Go back to your bitchy princess, and sit in her lap while she supports you! I am not your verbal punching bag anymore!" Liz shouted, Loki glaring up at Michael and closing a fist. The man stood on the other side of the table, glaring at Elizabeth and he pointed at her. Poking her in the chest, and shoving her back with two fingers.

"Look at you, all trying to be brave, we all know you are a coward when it comes down to a real fight. Listen bitch..." Michael hissed, and Loki grabbed his free wrist and pulled him so that he was face to face with him. Even as a Mortal, he was stronger than Michael and he glared into a set of brown eyes as he spoke.

"You will not put your hands on a woman again, least of all Elizabeth." He growled, crushing the wrist in his hand and the man tried to pull away. "Am I understood?"

"Let go of me." Michael threatened, two Police Officers walking up and Liz pulled Loki's chair back.

"Let him go David, we don't want to create a scene." She said and yanked on the chair. The Cops started walking over, and Loki released his wrist. Michael backed up, glaring at Liz and she shook her head.

"You both are going down." He hissed, glaring at Elizabeth and she stared at him.

"You shoved me first. They will not touch David for defending me, they might even give him a medal for not being a jackass." She warned and he gave her a hand gesture and turned back toward the other stand. The Cops shrugged, walking away and she slumped into her chair and let out a sigh. Loki watched her for a moment, picking up the box and offering it to her and she took a green cookie and bit into it.

"David?" He asked and raised an eyebrow at her. She shrugged, washing her cookie down and grinned.

"I panicked, it was the first name I could come up with." She replied and he took another drink of her tea. "Aren't Macarons awesome?"

"They are." Loki replied and sat forward in his chair to keep an eye on Michael, he had a feeling that this was not the end of him causing trouble.

"He is all talk, no actual drive to do anything. He moves in with a woman, drives her self esteem through the floor, dumps her and moves on." She said, looking at him and she saw a girl shopping through their stand. She checked her phone, seeing the time and evaluated her stock.

"Let us hope it stays that way." Loki replied, thinking about how he had introduced her as his friend. No one had ever considered him in that way, and he wondered if she was sincere about it.

"Thanks, for sticking up for me." She said, putting the box he set back down on the table toward him and he took a green macaron from it and took a bite while she handled the next transaction.

"The green ones are rather good." He said and she grinned at him as he ate the rest of the one he held.

"We have four more hours, and did more sales today than I do in two Farmer's Markets. I am going to have to double up on my stock for Olympia." She said and he glanced at her. "Want to help make soap?"

"I had a feeling you were going to ask that." He said and she nodded, looking at him and laughing.

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"Hey. We are home." She said, giving him a shake and Loki jerked awake from another dream about Asgard. He dreamed of his revenge, standing over the shivering people and reveling in his power. He shook off the sleep, rubbing his face and regarded Elizabeth a moment.

"Don't you know that it is rude to wake a person sleeping peacefully?" He said, unhooking his belt and leaning forward in the seat. The last of the sun was setting over the ridge of the mountains, and the sky was a fiery red as he scanned for anything amiss. It was a habit he developed long ago, and held onto to keep himself from having any troubles. He heard Liz open her side of the vehicle and walk to the back, stretching tired muscles and she fetched his chair and brought it around to his side.

"I always have been rude. And you are one to talk, isn't there some form of etiquette that says you shouldn't take over someone's planet without asking first?" She quipped, grinning at her own joke. He looked up at her, wheeling the chair forward and let out a huff.

"Amusing." He said, heading toward the porch and stopping at the bottom. "You remind me so much of another Mortal who is just as irritating."

"Lighten up, it was just a joke." She said, sitting on the stairs and rubbing her temples for a moment. She began to feel dizzy, trying to write it off as her being tired and not having a time bomb in her brain. She grimaced at the pain, feeling a hand on her arm and looked up at him.

"Another headache?" He asked her and she nodded, her mouth falling open and wondering how he noticed her pains. She did her best to hide them, not wanting anyone to worry about her. She sat quietly for a moment, looking down at the stair between her feet and took a deep breath.

"Yeah. I think I am just tired, we can empty the Jeep in the morning. Right now, I want a hot bath and to just become one with my bed." She replied, standing up and helping him get to his feet and she put his arm around her shoulders. She got him up to the house, unlocking the door and helped him to a couch in the sitting room before running back outside for the metal box of money. She returned quickly, leaving it on the table in front of him and helped him back up and up to his room.

"You look pale." Loki pointed out, and Liz nodded. She looked at him with tired eyes, closing them a moment and she thought the stairs got visibly dimmer as she climbed them.

"I'm just exhausted, and have a headache. Sleep will help me, and I will be good in the morning to start making soap." She said and got him on the bed. "Yell or ring the bell if you need me."

"I will do that. Rest well." He said and she gave him a smile. She walked out the door, swaying as she walked and made it to her room before groaning with the pain in her head. She found her bottle of Oxycodone, swallowing a pill and she put on her nightgown and walked to her bed. She chose a longer, peach colored satin gown in case she had to get up and she turned down her sheets and quilt. She saw spots as she normally did with these headaches, and nearly collapsed, somehow managing to crawl into bed and buried her face in the pillows. Before long, the pain began to ease away and took the nausea with it, allowing her to fall asleep.

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"You told Heimdall to keep his being alive from me?" Frigga said, pacing in front of her husband and picking at her fingers. She could not believe what he had just said, and she trembled with anger.

"I had to protect Thor and Asgard. You taught him to be too strong, you taught him all you knew." Odin said and took her hands. "I was protecting you."

"He is my Son. I raised him as if her were my own child, and now I may have to watch him die from afar. All for the simple fact that you would not let me tell him sooner how different he was from his Brother." Frigga replied, looking at her husband and wanting to scream. Her tears burned her eyes, the gentle blue eyes hiding how cunning his Wife truly was.

"I am sorry Frigga. I had to do something, and I spared him when you begged me to." Odin snapped back, making her frown. Her thoughts turned to him learning to make illusions and she blinked back tears, her mind remembering the boy who was so proud to demonstrate every new skill he learned for her.

"He is my Son, and he is becoming friends with a Mortal that is dying. You are torturing him further for this, and I cannot bear to sit by silently. The poor girl will befriend him, and then leave him alone." Frigga said and left himself standing in the Hall alone, Odin contemplating his decisions and he sat on his throne again.

"He made his decisions, this is the path he must walk now." Odin said, not caring who heard.


	7. Work Day

Chapter 7.

Elizabeth woke up the next morning, opening her eyes and hearing the soft patter of rain on her windows. She rolled from her side onto her back and pulled the blankets up to her nose, feeling warm and safe in her little cocoon. She was not aware of the presence standing at the foot of her bed, and she opened one eye to made out a blurry shape and sat straight up. She grabbed a pillow, launching it at the intruder and screamed as she bolted from the bed.

"Good morning to you as well." Loki said, making her stop and she calmed down as he picked up the plush weapon and put it back on the bed. She grabbed her robe, wrapping it around herself and trying it at the waist as she groaned at him.

"In my defense, you scared me half to death!" She said and he grinned at her. "You are lucky it was just a pillow. What are you doing in here anyways?"

"I am starved, and you are sleeping late." He snapped, earning a glare and she sighed and rubbed her face. She was trying to keep calm, to not loose her cool, but he was pushing his luck.

"I did not feel good last night, and... just don't invade my space. From now on, my room is off limits." She said and he rolled his eyes at her. She held the robe closed at her throat, hiding her annoyance at him and he crossed his arms.

"Very well, if you are in it, I shall knock." He said and she nodded, closing her eyes and feeling bad for snapping at him. Her demeanor calmed, and she huffed the last of it away.

"Let me grab a quick shower and put some clothes on, I really was not feeling good last night and we need to make some more products for the market in Olympia next week." She said and groaned into her hands. "I need to count out how much was made yesterday too, and unload the Jeep."

"I will wait down the stairs." He replied and left the room, closing the door after him. He paused, looking back and looked as if he were wanting to ask her a question, but shook his head and changed his mind as he limped toward the stairs.

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"Careful with that lye, you get it on your skin and you will have a bad day." Elizabeth warned Loki, watching him mix the caustic parts into the shea and goat's milk to make the soap base. She filled the last aloe lotion bottle, capping it and looked at the stock she had produced over the day. She had more than enough of the lotions and bath soaks, maybe tomorrow she could make lip balms while they waited for the soap to finish setting.

She poured out the scented oils from the lavender she made with the frist cuts from the plants last spring, and Loki mixed it into the soap. He watched her then take some of the dried buds and pour it into the vat, measuring everything carefully and nodding to herself.

"We have to pour this onto the loaf molds. We can cut it tomorrow, after it is set." She said and he watched her pour the vat into eight pre treated molds that were scored with cut lines to make the task easier. She scraped the last of the soap into each mold and leaned against the work table behind her.

"What next?" He asked her and she shrugged.

"Want to start setting up lip balms?" She asked and he wheeled himself over to a tub of empty tubes. "We can have lunch after we finish that part. I have to start preparing the beeswax, it has impurities in it that has to be skimmed off the top as it melts."

"I should have no problem with this." He said and started placing the tubes in a board with holes drilled in it. He saw Elizabeth warm a hot plate and add large pieces of honeycomb to a pot, cutting some up and waiting for them to melt slowly before adding more. He pulled the lids off them, putting them in a jar so they would not roll away and found his thoughts drifting as he worked. He thought about Frigga, the gardens she carefully tended and let his memories of him being young come freely. He would watch her sit in the grass among the flowers, her skirts softly flowing over her and he would play. Floating leaves in the pond like small boats, or looking for rabbits among the hedge. His youth a happy one, as he all to fast grew up and began to study the magics she taught him. He eventually surpassed her skills, and she found herself proud to tell people how smart and clever he was. The only girl he loved, blushing and cursing to him as she grew as well. Her noble breeding showing in her soft skin and slender neck, and he fawning over her until she allowed him to begin his courtship of her.

It ended with sadness on his part, the careless fumblings of young love fading as Thor came into his own, and she gravitating toward him. A beautiful moth to his brighter flame, and all too soon she was gone. Married off to another man, her parents getting her away from the two Princes. Leaving Loki so alone again, and heartbroken, which he hid well. He became celibate after that girl, never seeking the company of the fairer sex again. Not that they paid him any attention, until yesterday. The soft glances of women and their giggles as they looked at him, making him wonder if he were a novelty to them. He looked at Liz, watching her skim the wax with a meshed spoon carefully and tapping the dregs in it out on a bit of paper to remove the bits of dirt.

"You could be quite good at potions." He said, making her blush at the compliment and she smiled a bit.

"What makes you say that?" She asked, removing more debris. "This is a far cry from making a love spell, or some other magical elixir."

"You have a careful attention to details, and you measure everything meticulously." He said and pushed more tubes into the board. "It is a skill that comes with practice."

"Thanks. I have done this for a long time, my Dad..." she started and bit her lip, sadness crossing her face. "He... he inherited the farm from his Dad, and it is mine now. He and... well, my parents taught me everything I know."

"My condolences for your loss." Loki said, she nodding at his civility and she lay the spoon down to let more wax melt in the pot.

"Yeah... it was recent, but I am getting better." She said and picked up a tub of Shea Butter. "I am going to let that simmer a bit and add the butter and essential oil. There is still crud floating to the top of the pot, so I want to make sure I get it all."

He nodded, returning to his task and let her have her privacy. To him, mourning was a deeply personal thing, and not to be disturbed unless the person asked for comfort. He finished one tray, starting on another and he heard a soft sob from Liz, he looked over and she stood over the measuring of the Shea Butter with tears in her eyes. She wiped at them, and he reached for a cotton cloth to offer to her. She trembled, and he blinked at her as she took it and wiped her eyes. She blew her nose, pulling the crumbling pieces of her composure back together.

"You want a sandwich? I'm starving." She said finally, leaving him and walking toward the door. She left her part of the task unfinished, he reaching over to unplug the warning plate and sighing to himself as he leaned back in the chair. He took the caps off the tubes, contemplating what he saw and began to wonder if he had said something too much or not done enough.

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Frigga watched as she meditated, the door behind her opening and closing and getting her attention. She turned from the image, Thor walking toward her with a troubled expression.

"Is the rebellion in Vanenheim at an end?" She asked, linking her arm through his and he gave her a smile.

"Yes. It is, and peace has been restored to the Nine Realms..." He started and let the pride fall from his voice. His smile faded and he saw the image of his brother in the flames, his leg propped up and working at a task. "Father said we were not to meddle."

"I am not meddling. I was watching him to see if he was well, are you both still my sons? Or should I ignore one to favor the other?" She asked and Thor walked toward the image, his eyes falling on the leg and the Mortal clothing he wore.

"He is injured. I could take him some medicines to help him heal, we only need to distract Father." Thor said and Frigga shook her head, her eyes falling and she took his large hand in hers. She urged him to a seat, perching herself next to him and blinked a moment.

"He is cared for by a Mortal, the woman is kind to him and I am afraid that any interference may... it may upset him." She said and waved her hand to make the image vanish. He looked at his Brother, the fading vision becoming a memory.

"It was not the same... Going into battle without Loki. I actually looked across the field for him, wanting to see him working his tricks and was let down to not see him." He said and frowned. "I nearly missed an arrow fired at me, Sif caught it and saved my skin."

"He will return to us. I blame myself for all this, if I had not held onto the lies... taught you both that the Jotun were the enemy of Asgard, none of this would have happened." She said and let a tear fall down her cheek. "I mourned him so hard, as if the infant brought to me was ripped from me again, and I mourn him again."

"Blame yourself not." Thor said and grinned suddenly. "I will be returning to Earth if Father will grant me permission, I wish to see Jane and perhaps take you to meet her."

"I would like that Dear, I do hope your father sees her as you do one day." She said and Thor leaned close to her, whispering into her ear.

"Perhaps, I can arrange for you to see him from afar." He said and her eyes widened on joy at the prospect. "I could use Stark to take you to see him in this Realm called Washington"

"We must be careful, your Mortal friends may not like the idea of he being among them and try to harm him or the young woman aiding him." Frigga said, hugging her son and smiling brightly for the first time in two years.

"We shall be Mother, I promise. They will not know it is him."


	8. The Calm Night

Chapter 8.

Liz sat back on the blue flowered couch, looking at the counted money in front of her on the dark wood coffee table and subtracted the hundred dollars she used for change. She had over five thousand dollars in front of her, the amount making her state in mute shock. This never happened unless she was working the State Fair, never from a Farmer's Market. And even then at the Fair, she was lucky to make this much. Loki wheeled himself in the room, stopping and resting his elbows on the arms of the chair and he blinked at her.

"Did you not do very well?" He asked and she shook her head and raised her eyebrows in amazement.

"No. We did really good, like super good." She said and bundled the cash and receipts together and set them aside. "Over five thousand dollars, I never do that unless I am working the State Fair. I know we ran low on products, but it still amazes me that we sold that much."

"Then, I don't understand your shock. I would imagine you would be pleased by what was made then." He said and wheeled closer. He moved to the other side of the table, and watched her expressions closely. Her eyes met him, and she crossed her arms as she regarded him. Thinking quickly, he studied the sage green walls behind her and looked at a painting of birds sitting on a branch together. He cursed himself for letting her see him stare, and he wanted to groan.

"Did you do some weird magic or something? Is that why we sold so much?" She asked and he blinked at her, he did not want to admit that he had no powers. Her finding it out would give her some leverage against him, and she could throw him out of her home sooner than when he wanted. She stared at him, and he looked back up and laughed a bit.

"I assure you, it was not my influence at all. Perhaps your wares are naturally pleasing to the persons who bought them?" He said and she narrowed her eyes at him and let out a huff. She sucked her lips in, popping them and sat up and added her totals to a ledger in front of her.

"Sure, but if you did do something, thanks. I can pay the power bill this month and eat." She said, and scratched away with her pen. He relaxed, his ruse working and she looked at his arm and pointed at it with the pen. "We need to change that bandage, we can't risk an infection and taking you to a Doctor for antibiotics. You are not exactly a welcome addition to the population here, as you already know."

"I imagine that is the case." He replied, frowning at her and she shrugged. She crossed her legs, thinking for a moment and looked out the window.

"This afternoon was awkward, but I am coming to terms with a lot of stuff slowly... I have had a few bouts of bad news over the past few weeks, and I... I am hoping my life calms down for a while. Not that you showing up was a bad thing, don't think that." She said and he nodded, she folded her hands and let out a sigh. He looked around the sparsely furnished room, noticing a framed portrait of a family on the mantle over the fireplace. The Mother and Father standing over a much younger Elizabeth, and a young man standing next to her. All of them smiling and the house standing happily behind them, his eyes fell on the various pictures and he saw them all as a family. His mind wondering what had happened to them, and if the boy in it was her sibling. She shifted, crossing her legs and tapped her pen on the book in her lap.

"I will do my best to understand, and to be patient should you need it." He said and she gave him a weak smile. She looked at the clock and sighed, rubbing her face and stretching her back.

"I am too tired to cook, want to do some Delivery Chinese Food?" She asked and he shrugged. He glanced at her, opening his hands and gave her a crooked grin.

"If that is what you want, I have never eaten that before." He replied, and she laughed. Picking up her phone and tapping in a number, he listened to her order the food. She named off items that he could not truly understand their names, and she read off numbers from a card and hung up. She stretched again, looking at him and grinned.

"You look confused." She said and he laughed to himself at her observation.

"I am curious about what you requested, it all sounded a bit exotic" He said and she laughed, throwing her head back and clapped her hands.

"Someone is in for a suprise." She said and laughed again, getting up and collecting her things from working. "We have thirty minutes, let me answer the door in case it is the government coming to wheel me off to the looney bin."

"What is the looney bin?" He asked and she laughed again, waving over her shoulder and walking up the stairs.

"I will explain it later, you will like the food. Trust me!" She replied and Loki huffed as he heard her close a door upstairs.

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Loki lay on the couch and laughed at the screen, Elizabeth howling with her own laughter at the cat on the television as it chased its own tail. She wiped the tears from her eyes, writing a tic mark on the pad of paper and Loki laughed again as a rooster chased a girl in the next video. She joined him and hit the space bar to pause the video.

"Nine Hels! My ribs hurt from laughing." He gasped, catching his breath and she nodded and ate another bite of Egg Roll.

"Yeah, and I am now ahead in the game." She said and showed him the score. They decided to put YouTube on the television, playing a game of "You Laugh You Loose" to pass the time while they ate. Loki sat up on the couch and poked at his noodles, trying to calm down. He coughed, eating a bite and nearly asphyxiated as a nude man ran across a field with a cow chasing him. Liz laughed, putting two more marks on the pad and they both had to stop watching before they choked on their food.

"This internet is highly amusing." Loki said and Liz grinned at him. She picked up a container, putting more Orange Chicken on her plate and offered it to Loki, he shook his head and laughed at a cat running laps around a baby.

"I will have to teach you how to use it later. It is full of good information too."

"I have more than enough still." He said and she put the container back on the table. She chewed a bite of egg roll and watched the video until it ended. Auto play kicked in, and it showed Loki standing in a tower and Liz scrambled for the keyboard to stop the video. It was too late though, because the Hulk picked him up and slammed him into the ground and she cringed at the violence of it. Loki gauged her reaction, watching her mouth fall open in horror and she blinked as she hit the key to select another video.

They sat quietly, and she set her plate aside and looked up at him from the cushion she called a bean bag chair and rubbed her hands together.

"That... uh... that looked super painful." She said and he nodded and looked at her and she let out a long breath. She stood up, turning off the television and stretched and flopped back down on her seat. He held the fork in his hand, the knuckles turning white and she fidgeted with hers.

"It was humiliating as well." He said and saw her nod, picking up her plate and poking g at the food on it.

"You could have been killed by that monster, and it is really not cool to post the video of it." She agreed, and Loki blinked at her in shock. "I'm kind of weird that way, I dont believe that anyone should be killed for their actions. Prison, or some other form of punishment is good, but killing someone to avenge a death does not bring that person back."

"You dont believe in execution for murder or crimes against your people?" He asked her and she shook her head.

"No, and we call it the Death Penalty. I don't believe in it because it does not make anything better for the survivors, and it just takes another life out of the universe." She said and leaned back, staring at the ceiling and letting out a breath. He sat back, waiting for her to say something more and he set his plate next to hers on the table. He watched her toes wiggle in her pink amd yellow socks, and he thought about what she had said.

"What happened to your family?" He asked her and her head shot up. She blinked and she shook her head, gathering everything up on the table and glancing at him.

"I... I'm not really ready to talk about that right now. It was recent, and..." she said and shook her head again. "And my head is hurting again."

She took the dishes, walking through the hall to the kitchen and dumped everything in the sink. He followed her, the containers in his lap and he saw a letter on the table. It had a red plus symbol on it and he squinted to see that she was the one it was addressed to. A choked sob came out of her, and she held her head in both hands. Her fingers gripping the sides and she pointed at a white, rectangular cabinet behind her.

"Go ahead and put the boxes in there, we can have them... have them for lunch tomorrow. I'm going to bed." She said, leaving the room and climbing the stairs. He sat in the chair, doing what she asked him to and moved the wall switch to turn out the lights. He wondered if her headaches had something to do with his presence, and if his leaving would make them go away.

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She was laying on her bed, her back to him when he walked to the door. He knocked on the frame with his knuckles, trying to keep the sound from sounding too harsh and she stirred.

"Yeah?" She asked over her shoulder and blinked at him.

"I was wondering if your head still bothered you, perhaps one of those tablets will ease it?" He asked and she nodded, rolling onto her back and nodding. She covered her eyes a moment, and the quilt slipped off her chest as she sat up.

"Yeah. I... I took one. That is why I am a bit fuzzy now, did you need anything?" She asked him and he shifted his foot, his knee hurting him.

"I was wondering if I could have one myself." He said and she felt around the table next to her and he saw six different orange bottles next to her. She read the labels, waving one at him and he limped in to get the tablet. He shook one into his hand, looking at the other bottles and he frowned at them.

"Anything else?" She asked, and yawned as she rolled back on her side. He put the bottle back and she opened a drawer under the table, sweeping all ot them into it and closing it. He shook his head, limping out of the room and back to his. He sat on the bed, putting the tablet into his mouth and swallowing it with water.

He remembered a Mortal, one with gray hair who carred an orange bottle like that. He was working with Selvig and was rather brilliant, but claimed he needed the tablets for his sick heart. The Mortal worked, controlled by him and he would see the man take one tablet after another. He wondered as he lay on the bed and the pain in his leg dulled, did Elizabeth have a sick heart? Was she weak, and he wondered more if she would live a long life for her race. He wanted to ask her, but decided that it would be best not to. Her reactions to his question about what happened to her family had upset her enough, and he remembered her tear filled eyes. She was normally sure of herself, but faltered when he mentioned them.

His thoughts turned around in his mind, thinking about how she did not laugh at that humiliating video of him and he turned on his side. She was a strange creature for her beliefs, and he felt a strange draw to like her. She did entertain him, give him shelter, and never asked for anything in return. All she did was ask if he wanted him to help her, and he agreed to do so. He was technically at her mercy, but she did not order him around and he blinked at the memories of her calling him friend.

Was that truly how she saw him? Was she actually his friend?


	9. Rainy Days

Chapter 9.

Elizabeth added the last of the mixture to the last tube for Lip balm and stretched her tired neck, looking down at the cooling sticks and she set the large syringe aside and pulled her gloves off. She tossed them into a waste bin, and stared out the window at the rain. Loki finished sticking the wicks to the bottom of the jars for candles, looking up at her and trying to gauge her body language. He looked at the collection of printed labels for the sticks of Lip Balm and set them aside and worked on another batch of candles.

"Tired yet?" She asked and sat on the stool across from him. They had been unusually quiet that day, and she was seeming a bit more tired than usual.

"Not particularly." He replied, sliding the jars to pick up a handful of cups for the tealights.

"I can start pouring the candles and then label the rest if you are." She said and he nodded silently. She started adding flakes of soy wax to a lipped pitcher she put on the hotplate, watching the wax melt before adding more. She glanced at him, watching him from time to time. Her eyes clouded by something, and he noticed a slight tremor in her hands and he wondered if it was her headaches. She let the wax sit, measuring out more for the next batch and watching the thermometer she clipped to the edge of the pitcher.

"How does your knee feel today?" She asked, he sticking the wicks to the bottom of some cups and he let out a breath. He set the small containers on the table and shrugged, wondering if she actually cared.

"It pains me some, but is improving from day to day." He replied and she nodded, checking the temperature of the wax. She picked up a bottle and put three drops of a dark liquid in it, the color fading as she stirred it to a light purple.

"That is good, you may be able to walk soon then." She replied and he stopped, thinking that she was going to tell him he was to leave her home as soon as it healed. He could handle it, he was the invisible one in the past, and could leave and be forgotten again.

"I am sure I shall." He said and she smiled, pouring a careful measure of lavender oil into the wax and starting to fill the jars with the liquid wax.

"I bet you will like being tall again, and not have to push yourself around the house in the chair. You could help keep and harvest lavender too." She said and he blinked at her, her suggestion that he stay in her home a shock. He continued to set up the tealight cups and she poured two of them with leftover wax from the pitcher.

"You want me to stay?" He asked her, and she nodded and laughed a bit.

"Yeah. I mean, if you want to. What would you do, and where would you go?" She said and he nodded, she held up a finger then and fished an envelope out of her pocket. She handed it to him, he took it and looked inside to see several leaves of the green, paper currency they used on this planet. He raised an eyebrow at her, and she shrugged and looked at him.

"What is this?" He asked her and she laughed, readying to pour more candles.

"I am paying you for your help, it is only fair. You did help with sales, and are helping make more product now. I kept a running total of hours you worked and paid you a sum for each one." She said and set the cooling candles aside to pour the last of the wax again into a tealight cup.

"I do not know what to do with this." He said and she looked at him, stopping her task and blinking for a moment. He held the envelope in his hand, his eyes on it and she pushed it back toward him.

"Keep it, save it, you may need it someday." She said and shrugged. "It is better to have something and not need it, than to need something and not have it. My Dad used to tell me that all the time, he was full of stuff like that, I guess I see the use of his sayings."

"It is strangely wise." Loki replied, seeing her trembling smile cross her face. She continued working, finishing when the sun began to set and the barn grew dim.

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"It is still raining." Loki said, sitting by the window in the sitting room and she laughed a bit at his observation. She walked over to the window, looking out it and peered through the mist the rain created.

"It does that here in Washington, we are sort of famous for our rain." Liz replied, sipping from a cup of tea. Loki watched her, gauging her reaction again and closing his eyes a moment to think. He opened them, finding her looking down at him and she grinned.

"That's a gift you know." She said and he blinked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Disappearing in plain sight. You do it sometimes, close your eyes and get really quiet. It is like you are vanishing into yourself and hiding." She replied, walking over to the couch and sitting on it. He licked his lips, watching her closely and she curled her feet next to her.

"I did it when I felt as if no one cared I was in the room, now I do it to think." He said, rolling the chair over to the table and she nodded.

"You do that a lot too. Think. It is not a bad thing, unless you are overthinking things." She replied and he nodded again, staring at the grain on the wooden table and he pinched his lips together.

"Why do you call me your friend?" He asked her, and she shrugged at him. The wind rattled the windows behind them, and she laughed a bit.

"Do you want me to call you my Involuntary Houseguest?" She asked him, sipping her tea. "I call you that because you are my friend Goofy."

"Don't tease, I dislike that." He snapped, glaring at her and she bunched her eyebrows at him. She shrugged and set her cup down, folding her hands on her lap and let out a breath.

"I get the feeling that you were picked on as a kid." She said and he blinked at her. "I was too, but probably not as bad as you."

"My family... the people who took me in, had little time for me. I was found as an infant, and they perfered their golden, blood born child to me." He said and she nodded, listening instead of waiting to speak. "I never was their son, so I was eventually going to be used as a pawn to foster peace between Jotunheim and Asgard. Odin always did have ulterior motives, he let me think I was his naturally born child, hiding the truth from me the entire time."

"That sounds awful, I want to relate and all, but something like that had to be really traumatic. It sometimes sucks to be the other kid in the family

My younger brother was the troublemaker and my parents forgot I was around when they sorted him out." She said and he looked at her, realizing he had said too much. He pushed himself back to the window, looking out it and tried to see the rain in the deepening darkeness. She did not say anything more, only sat on the couch and coughed a bit.

"What is Jotunheim like?" Elizabeth asked and he looked back at her. His face showing the pain he felt, and he shook his head.

"It is a barren rock, the home of the Frost Giants." He said and she frowned at the idea. She nodded, picking up her cup again and the wind howled outside with the rain.

"I guess Asgard is way different." She said and sipped the tea. He nodded, looking out the window again and he let out a breath.

"Yes, it is a glittering, golden place. With lush forests, a prospering city, a countryside filled with farms and acres of land to be sown. The vast knowledge and art alone is true wealth, one could spend a thousand years exploring the libraries and not have read a quarter of the scrolls and books in it." He said and he looked at his hands. "It is a far cry from the realm of Monsters that the people of Asgard fear."

"Jotunheim?" She asked and he nodded silently.

"Yes. Jotunheim." He replied and leaned back in his chair and Liz pressed her lips together. She shifted, looking at him and cleared her throat.

"You dont look like a monster to me. Pale, a bit moody, but not a monster." She said and Loki snorted derisively at her. He shook his head, not caring what she had to say or what she believed in. He was a beast, one that Thor and his band of miscreants would seek to destroy. Cursed by the nature of his birth, and a fate he could not hope to outrun.

"You do not know me, nor shall you ever Mortal. Do not look for answers where they are not yours to have, you are not clever enough to understand my motives or reasoning." He snapped and her face turned dark. She stood up, walking out of the room and left him sitting alone. He looked down at his hands, opening them and sighing to himself as he watched the streaks of rain run down the window.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Elizabeth?" Loki asked, standing in her doorway as she swallowed the tablets in her hand. "I came to apologize for what I said."

"We are cool." She said, putting the bottles away and closing the drawer to the table next to her bed. He watched her lay back on the pillows, pulling the blankets over herself and he nodded.

"I should not have said what I did, especially since you have done much for me." He said and Liz sat up, looking at him and she sighed.

"Come here." She said and gestured for him to sit on her bed. He shook his head, pressing his lips together and he let out a breath.

"I am celibate, I chose to not take any lovers to focus my studies on my Magic and education." He said, hating that he was admitting that. "It was so that I would have no distractions, it is nothing against you. I actually find you quite attractive, in a way."

"Uhh... wow. I guess, I was inviting you to sit so you didn't have to stand on your hurt knee anymore." She replied and blushed. "But thanks for the compliment and all."

"Did I read your intentions wrong?" He asked and she laughed, throwing her head back and turning red.

"You sure did!" She laughed, holding a pillow to her face. "It is cool though, that you stayed that honest to yourself. Not many guys I know could do that, and however old you are, that is a feat."

"I thank you for your compliment as well then, do you accept my apology?" He asked and she nodded, laying back down.

"Yeah, I do. And if it makes you feel better, I'm a virgin too." She said and blushed. He raised his eyebrows at her, shocked at her statement and she laughed.

"I am truly shocked, I thought all Mortals were a bit more relaxed with their habits." He replied and she giggled.

"Some of us are, a few of us want to wait, and some of us never get the chance." She replied and he felt himself color at her statement, thinking about the girl he courted again and lost. His chance slipping away, and another one never taking its place. He sighed, looking at Elizabeth and wondering what her reason was to keep her purity for a moment.

"I will not keep you then." Loki said and she nodded. He turned to leave, and Liz said something that stopped him.

"What?" He asked and she laughed.

"I said goodnight." She replied and closed her eyes. She looked beautiful on her bed, the silky material of the gray nightgown hugging her body as she slept.

"Goodnight." He replied and returned to his room, laying down on the bed and not remembering when he fell asleep.


	10. Olympia

Chapter 10.

"Loki stood under the canopy, trading the money for goods to a woman with deadlocked hair. He found that he could stand on his leg now for short periods, and put some of his weight on his leg, but it was still too weak to take it all. The woman accepted her bag, grinning at him and walked back into the crowd. Liz set out more products, and he sat back in the chair to rest. She reached into her purse, shaking a bottle and aimed it at him.

"Close your eyes and don't breathe." She said and he blinked at her. "You are starting to get a bit red, this is sunblock. I don't want you getting a sunburn, Mr. Pale Cheeks."

"This will prevent that?" He asked her and she nodded. He closed his eyes, feeling a cool mist settle over him. She then lifted his hair and sprayed the back of his neck and then his exposed arms from under the red shirt he wore. He looked down at himself, noticing that his arms had taken on a blush and he wondered if he was going to be in more pain because of it.

"There. I can run and get you a hat from another stand if you want. It will keep the sun off your face." She said and he shook his head to decline. A red haired woman approached them, looking at the table and Liz greeted her. She kept looking at Loki though and he stood up, her mouth opening at seeing him at full height.

"That lotion is truly a godsend." Loki said, holding his hand out for hers, he took a bit of it from the tester and applied it to her arm using the tips of his fingers and she stared at him. Her eyes locked on him, and she blinked at the touch and she licked her lips

"Yes, it... it is really nice." She said, and blushed.

"It does not leave a residue, making for a truly unique experience, and lightly perfumed the skin. Do you see?" He asked her and she nodded.

"I will take... two... two bottles." She said and she handed him both of them and a bar of soap. He bagged her items and took the money from her, Liz looking unamused at him and he winked at her sheepishly. The woman took her bag and change, wandering through the people and he sat back down to relieve his aching leg.

"I thought you were celibate, for a minute I thought she was going to throw you over tha table and strip you with her teeth." She poked and he grinned at her reaction. He laughed to himself, reacting to her annoyance and shrugged.

"I was selling your wares, nothing more Elizabeth." He said and she laughed at him. She shook her head, rolling her eyes and bagged up another order and took the money. She sat down, groaning as the woman from the last Market walked over and glared at Liz. She tapped a perfectly manicured set of cherry red nails on a display, her heavily painted face glaring at the both of them.

"Stop taking all the business." Sara said and Liz sighed to herself.

"Maybe my stuff is better than yours. Get over yourself and crawl back to Michael, I hear he is always ready to lick your wounds." She snapped back at the other woman, her eyes narrowing and Sara pushed an errant strand of hair back into her bun. Liz crossed her arms over her lavender sun dress, the sandals of brown she wore tapping on the ground as the other woman glared.

"Maybe your new boyfriend needs to learn to keep his hands off other women." Sara snapped and Liz rolled her eyes.

"He is my friend, platonic only, not my boyfriend. Why don't you go back to yours, or are you planning on stealing every person who hangs out with me?" Liz growled back and Loki stood up, sensing there was far too much trouble brewing. He had seen this happen with Thor too many times, and it would soon end in fisticuffs if it was not stopped. He lifted Liz off her feet, standing in front of Sara and he sighed.

"Why don't you just walk back over to your stand, your Gentleman Friend looks as if he is a bit overwhelmed." Loki suggested, staring down at the woman and he glanced up to see Michael walking over. The tall, brown haired man in the faded blue trousers that matched Loki's looked unamused. He looked like a danger and Loki picked up a pen, the only sharp thing he could find to defend himself.

"Babe, Sara, come on. Let's leave the trash to themselves." Michael said and Liz's mouth fell open. She looked like she was going to rage at Michael for calling her trash, and instead swallowed back her feelings and at the man's next statement, he dropped the pen.

"We all know her family couldn't afford to take her to New York, that is why she is still alive and not stuffing a coffin with the rest of her family. Those aliens did the world a favor getting them blown up." He said and Sara laughed at his statement, Loki looked at Liz, her eyes on him and he sat down in the chair. He let out a breath, and he felt guilt like he never had before.

Her family, the kin of the woman who was so kind to him, were killed when he invaded.

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The rest of the day went smoothly, Liz selling almost everything and Loki helping. They loaded back into the Jeep, sitting in traffic near the military instillation when the silence between them was broken. His head jerked and he met her face, her hand on his.

"I said it was not completely your fault." Liz said and swallowed hard. "They sheltered in a building and it blew up, it took them two days to say they were part of the dead. They think it was one of those aliens."

"The Chituari." Loki said, his voice thick and she nodded.

"Yeah, those things, but listen don't hate you." She said and he blinked at her in confusion. "Call me weird, but I don't. You are not the foaming at the mouth lunatic I expected, you... you just look like someone hurt you for a long time."

"Yes. And I am honestly sorry for my actions Elizabeth, do you wish me to leave your home?" He asked her and she shook her head, blinking back tears. The traffic moved, and she shook as she let the vehicle move forward. Tears blurred her vision and she leaned over the steering wheel.

"Where would you go?" She asked him, his hand on her shoulder and she looked over at him. " Think about it. You would starve, you have no idea how to completely blend in, be exposed to the elements, and are totally into not being dirty."

"You should hate me, I killed your family." He said and shook her head, she took the exit and she followed the road that circumvented the Instillation, Green Uniformed men jogging along the fence as they passed them.

"I don't hate you. I feel bad for you, you didn't ask to be turned into that person then. I really did want to hate you, but now that I know you, I can't. And I see the real you, he is not the stalking beast that just kills people because it is fun. You seem like did not want it to go that far, but it did." She said and he pressed his lips together. "I watched the video a bunch of times too, it was... it was satisfying to watch the Hulk beat you up."

"I imagine it was." He replied and she laughed, nodding and fighting tears.

"I was going to tell you in my own time, I didn't expect Michael to be such an asshole and tell for me." She said and she groaned. "What did I see in him?"

"I imagine he was rather pleasant to you at one time." Loki replied and she nodded.

"Yeah. I guess so too." She laughed and he looked out the window. The trees blurring past as they drove on, and he saw the fence give way to houses and neatly manicured yards. He glanced at Liz, and she sighed.

"Orting is in a couple of weeks, we have way too much to do. We have to make more oil from the plants, so we have to start steaming some buds soon." She said and he nodded, watching the world blur past.

"I will help you cut some." He said and she let out a long breath as they turned on the highway toward the house. He watched her for a long time, and he looked down at his arms. They were slightly red, but not horribly so.

"It is a lot of work, in the dirt and getting your hands all calloused. You might hate it." She warned and he laughed to himself, wanting to say something about him being in several battles in the past but deciding not to.

"I actually find caring for plants meditative, and the processes of making the soaps and lotions rather relaxing." He said and she nodded, she slammed on the brakes then and shouted while throwing and arm across his chest. In the road in front of them was a fallen tree. She gasped, and he looked down at her arm and she blushed while moving it away.

"You okay?" She asked and he nodded, Liz gasping for air and she shook. Two men worked on cutting the large trunk into pieces, moving them out of the way and they motioned her around the debris. She carefully picked her path, letting out a cleansing breath and she blushed.

"That is a force of habit, the Seatbelt Arm." She said and Loki nodded at her. "You O.K?"

"I am unharmed." He replied and she rolled her eyes at him. "Thank you."

"I can't afford you ending up at a hospital and who you are coming out. I could loose my house, the farm, even my freedom. Just let that remind you how nice I am being if you want to get snarky." She said, driving on. He glanced at her, looking back out his window and wondering if his being put on her farm was purposefully done. Did Odin select her for his own means, and why did he do it? Did he expect her to kill him out of revenge, or did he know she was so magnamanous?

"I was not being rude, believe me. I am a bit tired from the day, and was surprised by all that had occurred." He said and she nodded. She turned toward the house, the vehicle bouncing in some ruts, and he swore his spine became disjointed from one. She grunted, trying not to look embarrassed and sighed.

"I really need to fill those." She groaned and parked the Jeep in front of the porch. "We can unload tomorrow, I will just grab the cash box.


	11. Awkward!

Chapter 11.

Loki woke the next morning, standing up and limping to the Bathing Chamber to ready himself for the day. He slept poorly, thinking about all that he had learned about Elizabeth and her family. He stretched cat like, walking through to bathe and heard the Jeep start up outside. She was already working, so he would have to be fast at readying himself for the day. He scrubbed, drying himself off and walked into the other room to get clothes.

He paused, looking out the window and did not see her in the yard. His eyes searching the landscape and not seeing her, and he crossed his arms over his chest as he thought. He did not hear the footsteps, nor did he react right away when someone walked behind him.

"Loki? You awak..." Liz started and gasped. "No! No way! Clothing is not optional in this house, what are you doing?"

"I was preparing to dress." Loki replied, grabbing the blanket off the bed and wrapping it around his waist. She turned bright red, and he saw her standing with her back to him and she groaned.

"Well, do it so that the world can't see what you are proud of. I almost had a heart attack!" She said, and he smirked at her. She covered her face with her hands, shaking her head and he laughed as he opened a drawer and put on a pair of the shorts she had given him and a pair of light blue trousers.

"One would think that you have never seen me nude before." He teased and she groaned again, looking back to see him pull a black t shirt with a Linkin Park logo over his head.

"Well, that was sick or injured naked. This is, I'm better naked, they are two completely different levels of naked." She said, and he laughed at her. She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him and she tapped her foot in annoyance. "Dont be a jerk."

"I am not. You are the one who walked in on me." He grinned at her, watching her cheeks turn redder.

"The door was open, that is a universal symbol for someone just to walk in." She groaned and rolled her eyes. "I can't help that you are an exihibitionist!"

"I actually am not one for flaunting my body." He said and opened the package of hair ties she bought him, combing his hair back and trying it off. "I will remember to close the door in the future."

"Do so, I started making more oil and unloaded the Jeep, we will probably just focus on soap today to take it easy. I have no motivation to do more, and we have two weeks to Orting." She said and fanned herself. She looked out the window, the sun already climbing into the sky and she sighed.

"How much did you harvest?" He asked her and she leaned against the wall, shoving her hands into her overall pockets and shrugged. She kept one strap hooked over the dark blue tank top she wore under them and it hung free as she stood and thought.

"A couple plants. I need some more, I need to get a full row done to make enough oil for the soap, and then another row to dry for their buds." She shrugged. He looked at her straw hat, and he grinned at her. She glanced up at him, shrugging and he laughed at her.

"I can do the cutting, show me what to do and you can work on the soap." He said and she blinked at him. She nodded, looking at his and pressed her lips together.

"Sounds like a plan." She said and stopped, pulling the can from yesterday out of her back pocket and tossed it to him. "Spray you face and arms, sunburn sucks."

"I assume so." He replied and applied the mist to himself. He followed her down the stairs, preparing himself mentally for the day ahead. He found himself looking at her simple braid and wondering if her hair was as soft as it looked, pushing the thought out of his mind quickly. She grabbed the other strap and put her arm through it, buckling the overall in front of her chest and walking on.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Four hours later, he brought in the harvested lavender, seeing Elizabeth standing over a table of finished soap. She had filled more trays than she normally did, and she glanced up at him and grinned. Her eyes falling on the gathered lavender, and she gaped at it.

"You did all that in four hours?" She asked, pouring more soap from the vat and he rolled his eyes at her. "I'm impressed."

"I told you that I found this sort of work meditative. What do you want done with this?" He asked, and she pointed toward an empty work table.

"Put half of it over there, we will tie it to hang upside down and dry. The barn gets warm enough this time of year, and we will have the dried buds by the end of the week." She said, and he lay the neat bundles he made with twine on the table. The rest he took over to a still of sorts, the fragrant oil being steamed from the plant cuttings as he watched and he blinked at it.

"This is rather impressive, you must produce quite a bit with this system." He said, looking back at Liz and she nodded.

"A bout a cup an hour, depending how fresh the buds are. Those need to be changed out, and a new batch put in." She said and tapped the soap tray on the table to force the air bubbles out of the loaves. "Dad came up with it, which reminds me."

She turned around, picking up a straw western style hat off the table behind her and handed it to Loki. He turned it around in his hands, putting it on and she grinned at him.

"What is this for?" He asked and she laughed.

"You are pale, it will keep the sun from turning you into a lobster. It used to be Dad's, but it looks better on you than it did on him." She replied and he tried to hand her the hat back. He felt a pang of guilt, not wanting to take something that belonged to her father.

"Keep it, it is just collecting dust here anyways. I found something else too." She said and motioned for him to follow her into the back if the barn. "I almost forgot about this, Dad kept it in top condition, and it is a shame to let it just sit here."

She pulled a canvas tarp aside, showing him a sleek black vehicle with two wheels. The chrome was polished to a high shine, and the black paint was gleaming at him. The chrome letters affixed to the side spelled out the legend "Harley Davidson." Liz looked at it in pride, sitting in the seat and grinning at him.

"I have great memories of riding this thing with Dad. We should take it out and let it stretch it's legs heading up Mt. Rainier." She said and Loki nodded.

"Is this like a horse?" He asked and she laughed, leaning over the handles and giggling at him.

"You could say that, want to take it to the end of the road and back?" She asked and she hopped off it to open the rear doors to the barn. He looked warily at the vehicle and shrugged, watching her turn a key between her legs and the engine roaring to life. He set the hat aside, gingerly climbing on it behind her and he held onto her shoulders. She rolled her eyes, taking his hands and putting them on her waist and revved the engine a bit.

"Hold on! This is faster than any horse you have ridden!" She shouted over her shoulder and he hoped he was not about to end up bedridden with serious injuries again. She put the bike in gear, riding it down to the end of the driveway and put on a pair of sunglasses, turning right and riding on the smooth pavement. It was the fastest Loki had ever gone before, and he found it terrifying and thrilling at the same time. He had to blink away the tears from the wind as it buffeted him, pulling at his clothes as they pushed on and he grinned. It was faster than a Skimmer, and the loud engine pushed them faster than any horse could have. He saw vehicles passing them, and she made another turn easily, the cars to his left gaping at the sleek vehicle between his legs.

They approached a shopping center, turning into it and a man wearing leather clothes with a shaggy beard looked at the both of them. He gave them a hand gesture and shouted something that sounded like "Right on," but he was unsure. Liz turned them back toward home, carefully manouevering in and out of the way of the ruts in the driveway and they vanished back into the barn again. She put a stand down with her heel, grinning from ear to ear and laughed at herself.

"That is always so much fun." She laughed, jumping up and down a bit. "It makes you feel alive to ride like that."

"I can tell you enjoy it, and it was thrilling to go so fast." He said and she huffed at him. She sat back on a stool, looking at the bike and a sadness crossed her face.

"He really loved that thing. Mom had a fit when he bought it, but he said he needed some escape. He taught me how to ride when she wasn't around, I guess some part of him knew I would end up with it." She said and picked up the canvas and covered the vehicle again. "His favorite thing to do in the summer was go for a ride with one of us. We should go sometime, us."

"It sounds like a promising venture." He said, sitting next to her on an old crate. He put the hat back on and she laughed, pulling the brim over his eyes and standing up.

"A promising verture." She mimicked. "We really need to get you up on the slang here."

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Frigga watched, her eyes closed in meditation as the two of them walked through the barn. The female Mortal showed him how she built the still for extracting the oils from the plants using steam and gravity and Loki looked mildly impressed. She had been nervous at the ride on the vehicle, but the woman was very adept and no harm befell them.

"Elizabeth, this is very clever." Loki said, and Frigga finally had her name. It was a good name for a woman, it was strong and commanding. The girl smiled from her table, mixing ingredients in a large bucket for bath soaks. She smiled at Loki, walking back over and showed him how to ad a small spoon of water to keep the oil as pure as possible.

"Help me mix the salts for bath soak, you have stronger arms than me." Elizabeth teased, grabbing his wrist and he followed her. He stared back at the contraption, committing the design to memory so he could use it in the future. He sat at the table and mixed the ingredients in one bucket and then the other, watching Elizabeth hang the bundles of Lavender upside down from a suspended frame. Her system was most likely difficult for a person to accomplish alone, but with two her work load was easily halved. Frigga watched them work, a knock disturbing her meditations and she walked to the door to see Thor behind it.

"Have you checked on him?" He asked and she nodded, her eyes calm. But Thor's filled with a storm as he walked past her, glancing at the fire and he saw Loki and a blonde woman working on filling jars with powdered substances.

"I only want to see if he is recovering, and he is." Frigga said, blinking back tears. "The Mortal is named Elizabeth, her family died when Loki brought those creatures to her world. She strangely forgives him however, and has a capacity for compassion I have rarely seen in any being."

"Mortals will surprise you Mother." He said and shook his head. "Father does not see them as you do. He has forbidden me from seeing Jane."

"I am sorry Dear, he worries that you will suffer for her shorter lifespan however." She replied, taking his hand. "We will all find ways to achieve those things we truly desire however. All we have to do is be patient."

"I pray so Mother. It was not the same, the victory feast. I still look about in hope of seeing what is not there." Thor said, looking down. "I always ignored Loki, and now I wish I could turn back the hands of time to make myself see him."

"Regret, it is the curse that those of us who survive have to bear in silence." She replied, embracing Thor and blinking back tears. Behind them, the two figures worked on and laughed at eachother.


	12. Warm Days

Chapter 12.

They lay that night on chaise lounges, and eating the meat sandwiches Elizabeth made them over an open flame. She called them Hamburgers, but they contained no pork. He chewed the food in his mouth, watching the stars and thinking about how Odin and Thor would look in the Dungeon. Both of them exiled to their fate, suffering each day as he sat as the rightful King on the throne. The image made himself smile, and he grinned as he swallowed. He would make all of Asgard pay for his suffering, and they would fear him too much to disagree with any law he passed. He would be their absolute ruler, and no one would dare to cross him.

"What are you thinking about?" Liz asked him, looking at him and he waved his hand in the air.

"Asgard." He said, shrugging and she nodded a bit. She looked up at the sky, watching the progression of the moon.

"What is it like? Do you have Internet or Cars?" She asked and he frowned at her, laughing to himself. He let out a long breath, thinking how to describe it to her and he folded his hands after leaving his plate in his lap.

"There are no cars or Internet, but it is a vast city of gold and opulence you cannot imagine. There are Skiffs, boats that fly through the air, vast armies in shining armor dedicated to the defense of the people, and fields larger than yours of every fruit imaginable." He said and she stared at him, watching him gesture as he spoke. "There are wonders there that you would never imagine, and so much more. The Castle itself a seat of power and wisdom, I believe you would weep to see the splendor."

"It sounds amazing." She said, and picked at the bun of her sandwich. "I can imagine how you would miss it, my house must look like a dump compared to where you lived."

"No." He said, looking at her. "I believe a comfortable merchant of means would live in a cottage such as yours, but you have a luxury they would not."

"Indoor plumbing?" She asked and he laughed, taking a bite of his food and waving a finger at her.

"That..." He replied and swallowed the food. "And your kitchen is not wood burning. You do not have to overheat your home with fires burning all the time to prepare your next meal."

"I bet that my place has a few conveniences that theirs does not. Do they make food that way in the Castle?" She asked him and he nodded, waving his hands to show her how vast it could be.

"On feast days, the kitchen fires could be burning the whole day long. Whole pigs roasting to feed guests, and racks of beef dripping onto the fires. The Pastry Chefs could be baking all day, preparing enough for one table alone." He said, holding his arms out to show her how large a feast could be. "All that work to celebrate one person."

"Thor?" She said, shrugging and he stared at her. His eyes went wide, and his mouth fell open as he nodded.

"Ye... yes. I was hardly anyone to celebrate to Odin of his Wife." Loki said, looking down at his plate and Liz nodded. Her face was filled with caring, and she seemed genuinely sad for him.

"That sucks." She said and she sighed. "You still existed, what if you did some amazing thing? Did they throw a party for you?"

"No. Thor was their only concern, I was merely an after thought." He said and finished his food. She bit her lower lip, looking sad and he sighed as he sat back and folded his hands again.

"I don't think that was fair of them." She said, and he looked over at her. "You were still a person, with emotions and all that, but they paid more attention to Thor than you. You deserved some credit for your achievments."

"It never was that way." He said, closing his eyes and letting out a long breath. He looked back up at the stars again, watching the night sky and a coyote howled in the distance again. He wondered what feast was occurring in Asgard then, or if anyone thought of him or his lack of being present at it. He missed them all then, the laughter and celebration. He imagined the girls who had asked him to dance, they really only wanted to speak to Thor, he being the sun and he the shadow.

"Want to go in?" Liz asked him and he looked over at her, thinking for a moment and he shook his head.

"No, but don't let me keep you. I will lock the door when I come in." He replied and returned to staring at the night sky. She stood up, motioning for his plate and he handed it to her, her face filled with pity for him.

"Dont fall asleep out here, the raccoons might make a nest out of you." She said and he laughed at her, hearing her walk up the back steps to the kitchen door. The screen protested with a metallic groan, and slammed behind her, leaving him in the silence of the night with his memories.

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"Hey Space Cadet." She said, putting a sticker on his forehead and he groaned as he removed it. He stuck the label to the candle jar he was holding, adding it to the box and she laughed.

"What?" He asked her, being terse on purpose and she rolled her eyes at him.

"I was asking you if you wanted a sandwich, I'm starving over here." She said and he nodded, labeling the next jar and smoothing the paper over the jar in his hands.

"I am a bit hungry, if it is not a bother, I would like one." He replied and he watched her take two wrapped sandwiches out of the small cooler at her feet. She handed him one, fanning herself with a piece of paper and leaning over the work table with a groan.

"It is way too hot today. I can't believe the weather around here." She sighed, looking around the barn and shifting items around as she chewed a bite of sandwich. "I could have sworn I had a fan in here somewhere."

"Is it normally this warm?" He asked her, looking over his shoulder and saw Liz sitting on the floor with her head in her hands. She was rocking back and forth, her fingers gripping her head and whimpering in pain.

He stood, walking over to her and crouching down to cover her eyes from the light. He remembered that when she had episodes like that, that light bothered her and made them worse. It was best to let them pass and she moaned, her eyes pinching shut and she had tears squeezing out of them.

"Elizabeth. Do you need a tablet?" He asked her and she nodded, her fingers turning white from gripping her head. He got the bottle out of the cooler side pocket, opening it and shaking one in his hand. He put it to her lips, feeling her mouth open and he gave her water from his bottle to help her swallow it. She whimpered, doing her best to not look at anything and to keep breathing and she curled her knees to her chest.

Not knowing what to do, he picked her up. He carried her to the house and up the stairs, laying her on her bed and he took a cloth and wrapped it over her eyes. She lay still, the only sound was a keening whimper for a long time and he watched her gradually relax. She lay still, still blindfolded and he took her limp hand as she fell into sleep. He noticed the drawer was open on the table next to her bed, and he looked at the bottles of pills and sighed.

"What ailment do you have Elizabeth?" He asked and she stirred. She turned toward his voice and let out a breath, shaking her head.

"Don't worry about me, I will be fine eventually. You have seen this before, and it passes." She said, laying on her side and shaking. Loki swallowed hard, removing his shoes and he lay behind her. He felt her tense when his arm circled her waist, and she turned back to protest.

"Sleep, I am only comforting you." He said and she relaxed, her breathing finding a regular rhythm and she dozing into a sort of sleep.

"Pretty smart with the blindfold. I will give you that." She said and he laughed, her hair tickling his nose and she relaxing and drifting to rest.

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Liz woke as the sun set, her eyes opening under the blindfold and she groaned. She registered feeling someone holding her and she enjoyed the comfort it offered her. She snuggled closer to the source, her hands covering the arm and she turned to face the person holding her.

"Do you feel better?" Loki asked her and she nodded, stretching her legs and toes for a moment and she pulled the cloth off her eyes.

"Yeah, I guess the temperature dropped a bit too. It feels cooler." She replied, her face nuzzling into his chest. "Why do you smell so good?"

"I bathe." He laughed, looking down at the top of her blonde hair and he shifted his hip a bit to not cause her embarrassment. The closeness of an attractive woman caused something to stir, and he cursed his self discipline at that moment. She lay still, her breath expanding her ribs and she hummed as she lay and relaxed again.

"I like having you as a friend." She mumbled, and he froze as she sighed. "You are really nice when you want to be."

"Thank you, you are rather kind yourself." He replied, blinking back tears at her words. The light in the room dimmed, leaving them in darkness and he lay next to her, his thoughts on her words and how much they meant to him. He had never had anyone tell him they were happy to have him as a friend, nor did he have anyone say they considered him a friend before. He hugged to woman softly, letting her sleep on and soon drifted to sleep himself.

That night, he dreamed of showing Elizabeth the wonders of Asgard and she loved every moment of it.


	13. Safe Wakings

Chapter 13.

Liz opened her eyes, the sun peeking through the curtains and she blinked up at Loki, he glanced down at her and grinned a crooked grin. Her mind screamed that everything about the scene was wrong, that she was dying and she would only hurt him but she did not really want to move. Reason won out however, and she shoved her emotions to the back burner. She sat up slowly and rubbed her face, feeling embarrassed for what happened and groaned to herself.

"Do you feel better?" He asked her and she nodded, combing her hair with her fingers.

"I do, I just hope I didn't drool on your shirt or anything." She said and he laughed at her fretting. He shook his head, sitting up and tried to fix his own hair.

"No, you do however talk in your sleep." He teased and she blinked at him, his grin widening. She shook her head, denying it and wanted to scream.

"What? No way!" She said and he decided to tease her more, struggling to keep a straight face.

"Yes, and it sounded quite arousing." He teased and her eyes widened, her cheeks flushing bright red. She picked up a small pillow, hiding her face in it and shook her head.

"Please tell me you are lying." She groaned and he laughed, holding his stomach and she swatted at him with the lace covered cushion. She squealed, her irritation showing and she hit him again and readied for another blow but he grabbed her wrist.

"I was only teasing, nothing more." He said and frowned at her and she lay back on the bed laughing. She waved a finger at him, and covered her face.

"You really had me worried there for a minute, don't be such a jerk." She whined, he taking the pillow and hitting her softly in the stomach. She laughed, putting her hand out to stop him and he stood up, straightening his clothes and hiding an embarrassing situation. She noticed him limping a bit, and she frowned.

"Did I sleep on your leg wrong or something?" She asked him and he froze, turning slightly and her mouth fell open in shock. "Oh man!"

"Stop that! You are an attractive woman, and I am for all purposes, a man. Nine Hels Elizabeth, look in a mirror once in a while." He said and she covered her face, trying not to laugh.

"No... It is just the whole being celibate thing..." She started and he rolled his eyes at her. She waved her hands, trying not to make matters worse. "But trust me... it is like... super flattering. Really!"

"Elizabeth." He groaned and she shrugged, standing up and swinging her arms.

"You know what? I'm hungry, let's pretend this did not happen and have some breakfast with eggs or something similar. No awkwardness what so ever!" She said and he pinched the bridge of his nose, he sighed to himself and did his best not to curse his own name.

"I am going to relieve myself, eggs sound wonderful Liz." He said and walked into the bathroom, grumbling to himself. "Eight hundred years without so much as a stir and now this happens, damn you."

"Still flattering!" She shouted, hurrying down the stairs to avoid him being rude to her and to make breakfast. She heard the toilet flush, laughing to herself and trying not to feel awkward or anything else for that matter. She was still a woman on borrowed time, and despite everything in her life now, she was going to die.

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"Her are your eggs." She said, sitting the plate on the table and she sat down in her chair. He looked down at the scrambled lumps in front of him, the browned sausages laying next to them and he poked at them.

"Thank you." He said calmly, picking up a forkful of the food and tasted it. He found them edible, and chewed silently as she sat next to him and looked at the wall.

"What should we do today?" She asked him and he shrugged, thinking and he glanced at her.

"I thought we had to work, isn't there still much to do?" He asked and she shook her head and grinned at him.

"Orting is next week, we earned a day off. We can finish the last of the stuff next week." She said and he nodded, she grinned at him, pointing her fork at him and he blinked at her. "Renassance Faire! We could totally go! I have a costume for Michael that I made for one, but he never wanted to go. He said it was for freaks and weirdos, I bet that will fit you and I can wear mine."

"I don't believe that it would be very enjoyable." He protested, shaking his head and she groaned.

"Please? I have always wanted to go, but never had anyone to go with. It will be fun, and you may make a killing in fencing or whatever." She said and he sighed, her large blue eyes pleasing with him. "Pretty please? It is just one day, and I will sit become obnoxious until we go. Please?"

"Hel. I relent, where is this ridiculous outfit you want me to wear?" He asked her and she ran up the stairs with a clap of her hands and a squeal. He stood from the table, eating another sausage and licking his fingers as he followed her. She yelled from the unexplored third floor, waving her hands and he walked up to the open attic. In one corner, she had a sewing area, and she held up a cotton tunic embroidered with Celtic Knotwork borders, a long black belt for over the top of it, a pair of mid calf, brown leather boots, and a pair of black leather trousers. He looked at the garments, raising an eyebrow as he held up the blue tunic and sighed, she showed him her lavender dress and he grinned at her. Both outfits reminded him of the merchant class of Asgard somewhat, and he walked back down the stairs to his room, glancing back at the chemise and dress.

"I will be dressed shortly, this may not be as bad as I expected." He said and looked at the dress. "Braid you hair with matching ribbon, it will look lovely."

Liz stood in shock, blushing at his words and she fist pumped and danced about the area. She was finally getting to do a Faire, her excitement bubbling over as she grabbed the leather bag she made for around her waist and she hurried back down the stairs to change.

"I knew I would win jerk!" She shouted, hearing a snort from his room.

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She walked down the stairs, Loki watching her and he stood in the outfit she had given him. He had everything on himself properly, and she stopped at the bottom and turned on the toe of a brown, flat leather shoe. She laughed, and he checked his hair in the mirror to make sure he braided the bits he wanted to properly.

"I am so excited! I have always wanted to do this." She said, opening the door and putting her wallet and pills in the small leather pouch on her hip. She bounced down the porch stairs, and he followed her to the Jeep.

"I do hope it does not get too hot today, yesterday gave you a horrid headache. It would be a shame to have to cut your enjoyment short, at least for you." He said, pressing his lips together as he watched her dance around in the dirt path. She looked lovely in the dress, and she turned on her toes to look at him.

"We will make sure to drink plenty of water, it will help keep that from happening. Please try to have some fun, it is such a bummer to feel like the odd woman out." She replied, and she climbed into her seat to drive to the Faire. He got in on his side, her eyes on his legs and she swallowed as he sat there.

"Why are you staring?" He groaned at her and she shook her head, turning red as she sat for a moment.

"I am just thinking that you look great in that, I'm impressed with my work." She said and started the engine. He leaned across her, grabbing her restraint belt and brought it across her chest. He clicked it into the latch and leaned back, grinning at her.

"Seatbelts save lives Elizabeth." He said coolly, clicking his own in place and she turned even redder. He grinned to himself as they started moving, knowing exactly what had caused her to stare. He was attractive by Midgardian standards, and his slight embarassment at his situation that morning had her attention. He remembered her embarassment, and wondered if men had never paid her much attention. They were fools then, she was perfectly proportioned, her softly curved face and body alluring in a way. If she were of Asgard, he would not have thought twice to court her himself.

"Don't be a jerk." She said, and he laughed as she drove toward a sign pointing them toward a town called Yelm. He leaned back in the seat and laughed, watching her out of the corner of his eye.

"I wasn't, I was merely looking after my good friend. Nothing more." He said, and watched the buildings blur past. Soon, they shopping centers and houses gave way to trees and low brush. The view improving the further out they drove, he found himself daydreaming about the open fields of Asgard. Wishing he was there to ride his horse through them, the wind rushing past as he kicked her on.

"Want to keep going by David? I doubt we will know anyone there, and we really can't call you Loki." She asked him, trying to make neutral conversation and he shrugged.

"If it is easier for you to remember, I don't see any reason to change the alias you chose for me." Loki replied, and saw colorful tents approaching. He leaned forward, blinking at them and saw a person standing and waving them to park. She turned the steering wheel, guiding the vehicle over the uneven terrain and followed the directions to a man with a flag in his hand. She turned the vehicle off, stepping out of the vehicle and Loki joined her as she paid the man to park. He waved to them both, wishing them a "A day of merriment and adventure" as he directed another vehicle where to park.

"Do we want to wait for the Hay Cart to ride in, or do we want to walk?" She asked and he could not help but smile at her excitement.

"Whichever you wish." He said, offering her his elbow politely and she laughed at him.

"Let's wait for the Hay Cart. That way we don't kill our feet walking." She said and he glanced at the tents again, a rush of homesickness hitting him.

"Very well." He said and she sat on a bench with him, seeing that he was a bit depressed.

"Are you Okay? You look sad suddenly." She said and her eyes went wide. "I really did not meant to tease you this morning..."

"It is not that." He said with a wave of his hand and sighed, cutting her off. "This reminds me a bit of a Hunting Party back home. The smells of meat over a fire, the people laughing... I felt a bit homesick for a moment. Even if it was not truly my home, it made me yearn for that Realm."

"Home is where you decide it to be." She said and he blinked at her. "If you want, we can leave. I didn't mean to upset you."

He blinked at her consideration of his feelings and he studied her profile a moment, he put his arm around her in a moment of trust and smiled as she leaned toward him. She looked up, and sighed as he gave her a smile and he laughed.

"This is what you always wanted to do. We can stay and have a bit of fun, I imagine it will not be so terrible a torture." He replied and she nodded, grinning at him and waved a finger in warning.

"Dont you go using magic to make a mess here, I am warning you." She said and he laughed. Shaking his head and she rolled her eyes, his eyes blinking in the sun and she frowned.

"I am actually stripped of my ability to use magic, and I have been made Mortal as a punishment for my crimes." He said and her mouth fell open, she blinked at him and she pushed out of his arm. She sat there and looked at him in mute shock, and she looked at her lap.

"That sucks... I mean, being a God was what you are, your... your whole being. That is outright cruel, he could have just ordered you to do Community Service or done some Jail Time... or something else really lame! But woah!" She said and he laughed at her, his eyes closing as he threw his head back.

"I can get back into favor, but it takes an act of unselfish charity." He said and he heard a woman scream from the field. Liz turned her head and they saw a child of two running toward the road, his hands trying to catch a rabbit racing to escape him. On the road, a large Logging Truck lumbered forward, the driver not paying attention.

"Ethan! Stop!" The mother screamed as she chased the boy and Loki bolted from his seat and ran toward the child. His long legs, and closer proximity to the boy gave him a better chance of catching him first. He vaulted the fence, hearing Elizabeth chase after him and she screamed as well for the boy to stop.

"Wabbit!" The boy shouted and the animal darted into the road, missing the wheels of the truck and hopping to the other side of the road. Liz screamed, covering her face and she could not watch Loki and the kid get crushed by the massive tires. The woman ran past her, and she looked up to see Loki standing at the side of the road in the gravel, the boy against his chest and he was covering the blonde head of hair with his hand. He panted, looking down at the boy he held and nearly screamed at his own foolishness.

"Thank you so much! Oh my God! Thank you!" The woman kept saying, taking the little boy from Loki. "I can't thank you enough! Ethan! You scared Mommy! You could have been squished! What is your name mister?"

"David." Loki replied and the slightly portly woman hugged him and shook. He looked at Liz, her eyes wide at the excitement and she gave him a thumbs up. Two men wearing chain maile walked toward them, shaking Loki's hand and calling him a hero. He grinned crookedly, and he shrugged and ruffled the boy's hair.

"I only worried for the boy." He said and shook the offered hands. He walked back to Liz, and she shook a moment and hugged him suddenly.

"I was so scared you both were going to get hit. Don't do that to me." She said and he laughed a bit, noticing they were closer to the Faire.

"I suppose we could walk now." He said, shaking off his own adrenaline and taking her hand. He felt a slight bit if pride at saving the boy, and he glanced at the woman and the boy. They waved, he returning it and smiling as they walked on.

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Frigga clutched her chest and shivered at what she saw, her son nearly killed with an innocent child. His body was so weak, and he took a foolish risk for the Mortsl boy. Her heart pounding as she watched the woman embrace him, and Elizabeth stand in shock and also wrap her arms around him. She cheered, proud of her son for saving the boy but also cursed him for being so careless.

The door behind her opened, Odin holding a crystal in his hand and he showed it to his wife. A bit of green fog leaked from it, shooting through the window and into space to return to it's owner. And her mouth fell open at the sight, his hands shook and she covered her mouth with both hands.

"What happened? I know you saw! The crystal cracked!" Odin said and Frigga smiled behind her hands. She sat in a chair, folding her hands and told her husband what Loki had done.


	14. The Faire

Chapter 14.

They walked along together, looking around them and Liz took pictures with her communication device. She turned, pointing it at Loki and she laughed as she took a photo of him. She showed him the picture and he grinned at it, posing for another and she laughed and he looked at a stand of goblets.

"That was amazing! You saved that kid and all, even though you could have gotten squished and stuff." Liz said and he shrugged, admiring a copper vessel and setting it back down.

"True talent Sir." He said, and the man nodded to Loki with a smile. He turned back to Liz, and he rolled his eyes in a but of mock humility. "I saved the child, but his mother should have done a better job of minding him."

"Still, you could have just sat there and let it happen. You didn't, and it shows that you are not one hundred percent a jerk." She replied and her eyes widened as a green mist appeared around his fingers. He looked down at his hand and he watched as it worked back into his skin, his veins glowing as it took hold and he grinned. He waved his hand, and a bird appeared on Elizabeth's shoulder.

"What happened?" She asked, poking the bird with her finger and it vanished in a haze of green. She blinked where it had been, Loki crossing his arms over his chest with pride.

"It seems, that I have earned some of my magic back." He said, her face collapsing and she took a step back.

"Does this mean... you can... you know, leave?" She asked, blinking and he dropped his arms in shock. He walked toward her, and she turned around and wiped at her eyes. "I mean, I'm totally happy for you. It is great that you are forgiven and all, I want you to be happy..."

"It means, that I can do a few tricks. I am still banished, and quite mortal Elizabeth." He said and she tried to hide that she had started to cry. She was starting to think of him as a friend, that he would be around to hold her hand when the inevitable occurred and was sort of relieved to find out that he would still be around. He decided not to poke at her for it, his stomach growling at him and he laughed at the sound.

"Soulds to me that you are hungry, want some of that roast whatever they are cooking over there?" She asked him and he nodded. He watched her walk over to the booth, thinking about her reaction and blinked for a moment. She was actually saddened that he could leave, she actually considered him her friend and he gasped at the ache he felt in his chest for such things. Thor and his friends would be shocked to find that he was capable of making such a bond, possibly even impressed. He decided then, that he wanted no secrets between them, and would tell her everything about himself that she wanted to hear.

"Elizabeth!" He called out, chasing after her and she stopped. "Let me help you carry what we are to eat."

"Sure." She said with a smile and they walked to the counter. The man leaned over, his apron stained in grease and his beard and moustache shaggy. Liz thought he looked like a blonde Hell's Angel, but noticed the raven embroidered on his tunic.

"And what would the wee lass like? A bit of venison? Or a tankard of mead?" He asked and Liz laughed at him.

"My friend and I would like a cut of that roast, and two lemonades, and can we get some of those roasted potatoes?" She asked, pointing at his shirt. "Is that supposed to be Huginn or Munnin?"

"Two number sixes with Lemonade and potatoes!" The man shouted over his shoulder at another man serving the food, turning back." "Fifteen dollars, and it is Huginn. Ya know yer Mythology Miss. I'm impressed, watch a bit of History Channel?"

"I went to school." She said and handed him the money. "They had a book in the library and I read it one night, I couldn't put it down."

"Which tale was your favorite?" He asked and she handed a plate and cup to Liz. She handed it to Loki and he blinked at her, wondering what they were talking about. She took the second cup and plate, grinning and winked at him.

"The one where Loki convinced Thor to dress up as a woman so he could get his hammer back." She said and Loki nearly choked on his lemon drink. He coughed, trying to picture his brother in a dress and tears filled his eyes as he gasped.

"That was a good one, the God of Michief was on his best in that tale." He replied and waved to them as they walked away. Loki cleared his throat, and they found a table under a huge plastic canopy like Liz's and he had to rest his head a moment. The image of Thor in a dress still haunting him, he took the plastic cutlery from Liz and grinned.

"I do need to hear this tale, did your people truly make up stories about all of us in Asgard?" He asked and she nodded. She swallowed some of the meat, rolling her eyes and she moaned at how good it was.

"Oh yeah, there are lots of stories. Like how you killed Bauldr with mistletoe, and... made Slephinir." She replied and Loki blinked, shaking his head.

"Bauldr is a farmer and Tribal Leader in the East, he is quite alive. And I am incapable of making..." Loki started and groaned to himself, looking annoyed. "I angered a Tribal Chieftain a thousand years ago as a boy, did he truly make good on his word to tell a tale to humiliate me?"

"I think so, because the story says that you turned into a mare... and... you know how baby horses are made." She said and Loki turned pale. He looked at his plate, poking at the potatoes and he looked at Liz.

"It is far from true." He said, and she nodded. "I never birthed a horse... as a horse or otherwise... that is preposterous."

"Of course... Totally silly, it is just a story." She said and shrugged, looking at him. "I liked the love story between you and Sygn anyways. How you beat up her fiance and pretended to be him to marry her, and she was super happy... and I am guessing that is not true either."

"No." He said and sighed. "I was infatuated with her however, she was beautiful and so graceful. But she was happier with Theoric, so I let it happen. I became celibate, and never pursued a woman again. She had five children now, and is even more graceful than I remembered her from before."

"Sorry it didn't work out, you are still young, maybe you will meet someone yet. Maybe she is right under your nose, and you have not noticed her yet." Liz said and he grinned at her, liking her advice.

"Perhaps." He said and found himself admiring Elizabeth, the way the loose strands of her hair waved free of her braid. He ate more of the food in front of him, not wanting her to catch him staring and she made a small noise.

"What about the apples? Is that true?" She asked and Loki grinned.

"Yes, but we may only ask for one every hundred years. A Mortal lifetime." He replied, impressed with her knowledge. "They can heal any illness, and cure any infirmity of the body. And if you eat one, you would be immortal. That is why they are only allowed once every hundred years, so that we do not squander them and just give them away."

"Cool. It makes me wish we had special apples like that here, then we could give them to sick or dying people to cure them." She replied, sighing and Loki watched her closely. He remembered the bottles of tablets, debating if he should ask her what they were for and he closed his eyes. He decided not to push, even if there was something in her eyes that resembled sadness for a monent.

A man walked by, announcing a tournament, and he handed Loki a flyer. He read it over, grinning as he did so and showed it to Liz. She read it, her mouth falling open at the eight thousand dollar prize and she looked at him.

"I believe I shall enter this, may I borrow some of the two hundred dollar entry from you?" He asked and Liz opened her pouch. She sighed, handing him the other hundred dollars and he accepted it.

"Do you think you can win?" She asked and he winked at her.

"Elizabeth, I have been throwing knives in combat since I was five hundred. I will give you a thousand of it, to repay you with interest." He said, stopping her before she could protest. "And for being my friend."

"Fine, but I am going to blow that money on some new clothes." She warned and he laughed, his arm shaking around her and she blushed.

"Anything you want." He said and she laughed as he stood up and walked over to pay his entry and to sign up.

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Liz and Loki watched from the stands as the man failed to hit any of the printed target, but tried his best. He laughed, clapping the shoulder of the man to follow him and he took the set of knives from the boy who retrieved them. Loki waited, watching his stance and rolled his eyes as the stood very still and threw the first knife. He did not pivot, which added to the aim, and it flew over the target.

"Damn!" The man said, and a woman marked his score on a large chalkboard. The audience applauded politely, and Liz shrugged as she clapped.

"I will cheer louder to support you, I'm just being nice." She said and Loki chuckled under his breath. He watched the man throw the next knife, this time hitting the target but failing to score again. Loki leaned forward, watching the man make his next attempt and the audience cheered when he hit the blue space and scored ten points.

"Good try." Liz said and Loki glanced over at her, the man bowing and the audience applauded his effort. "Still saving the real cheers for my friend. Don't be all jealous."

"I should hope so." Loki said, the man calling out for him. He stood, walking toward the field and swung his arms to loosten his shoulders. A few girls giggled suddenly, hiding ther faces behind their hands and pointing at him. Liz clapped her hands and let out a hoot, waving to him and it earned her a few glares from the girls.

"Go David!" She said and he laughed as he accepted the knives. They were heavier than he liked, but he could account for the weight easily and he spaced his feet evenly. He felt the breeze for a moment and he focused on the target, preparing to throw from his side and he twisted his body at the waist and let the blade go as he pivoted the ball of his foot. It tumbled through the air, and struck the target, coming to a stop in the center of the red.

The audience cheered, clapping and he bowed politely to them as his score was written on the chalkboard. Liz standing and clapping her hands, sitting back down and turning red. He concentrated again, swinging his body back and he let the second go, hitting next to the last knife and the audience cheered again.

"Holy shit!" The man behind him shouted, pulling the felt hat off his head and squinting at the two knives. Loki grinned, and the two girls giggled suddenly and he rolled his eyes at their attention. They were not the ones he wanted to impress, she was sitting alone in a lavender dress.

"Two more! Let him throw!" A man shouted and Loki laughed to himself. He knew that he would win, and it felt a bit unfair if each throw were perfect. He aimed, throwing the next knife and it struck just outside the red circle but the audience still cheered. His score was recorded, and he prepared to throw the last knife. He aimed, letting it fly and it struck the red circle again and the audience cheered loudly. He looked over, seeing Elizabeth cheering and clapping her hands, she was bouncing on her toes and she waved at him. He gave a bow, leaving the makeshift arena and joining her.

"You did great! That was so awesome!" She said and he grinned at her, she did not mention his experience but hugged him around the waist. "You won for sure!"

"There is one more competitor, then we shall see." He replied, the man taking his place and the crowd laughed a bit as he threw the first knife. It struck just outside the red and Loki frowned a moment.

"Woah! He is pretty good." Liz said and clapped politely at the man and he threw the next knife, striking the circle and her mouth fell open.

"It seems, that he has had some practice." Loki said as the third knife hit the red and she nodded silently. He mentally cursed himself for missing the one time, he would have won if he had just shown off a bit.

"Yeah. This could end up a tie, and you will have to throw again to break it." She said and the man threw the last knife, striking the red circle and they both clapped politely. Loki took Liz's hand as he returned to the arena and looked back up at her, she blinking at him and she shook.

"In case I need to do a bit of a trick to beat him, how much do you trust me?" He asked her and her face went pale as her mind imagined what he could want to do, she shook her head and he grinned.

"I do trust you, but I don't like the idea of knives flying at me." She said and she saw him wink at her. "No way, what if I get scared and move? I could get killed, or loose an eye, or an hand, or something else really important."

"I will blindfold you then, you will not see it coming. And, as a show of faith, I will split the prize with you evenly." He replied and she felt her feet come unstuck from the dirt. She followed him down the steps and they stood in the arena, the scorekeeper watching.

"It looks like these two men have to throw again, in order to break the tie!" The bearded man with the red hair announced, Liz squeezing his hand. "This time, trick shots!"

"This is what I was worried about." She said and apples were placed on top of the targets for them to hit. Liz watched as both men were handed a set of knives, Loki allowing the other man to go first.

He threw again, hitting three out of the four apples that he had set up and turned back to Loki with a look of smugness. Liz looked at him, frowning as he yanked the piece of cloth off the scorekeepers belt and she looked at Loki. Everyone went silent, and four apples were set up for Loki. He threw, hitting the first one and the crowd cheered. The second falling not long after, followed by a third. Loki motioned before he threw the last knife, taking Liz by the shoulders and walking her to the target.

"You hit me, I will poltergeist you so bad... I will literally haunt your ass." She warned, letting him tie the blindfold over her eyes. He laughed, positioning her and carefully balancing the apple on top of her head.

"Just don't move." He said and she groaned, curling her hands into fists as she heard him walk away. The crowd went dead silent, not knowing how to react to this and they held their breath as Liz's hands shook. He swung his arms to loosen his shoulders, judging carefully the distance and wind and flipped the knife in his hand.

With no warning, he threw it, and all Liz heard was a thud above her. Her breath became ragged, and the crowd remained mute. She felt above her head, finding the apple, and let her fingers feel around it. There was something pinning the apple to the target above her, it had a handle and she felt her legs go weak as she realized it was the knife. The crowd erupted in cheers, their hoots filling the air and she untied the blindfold and she saw Loki and the other man. The man held his fist in the air, and Loki winked at her in satisfaction that he had won.

"Thanks for the warning." Liz said, giving the scorekeeper back his cloth and crossing his arms.

"You trusted me to let me throw, I believe you earned your part." Loki replied and she groaned as he put an arm around her. She hit him in the back with her fist, and he laughed as his prize was brought to him and the people cheered as Loki held Liz's hand in the air for her bravery.

"I expect my share now." She said and blushed at the standing ovation she got, and felt Loki slip something into her free hand. She looked down, the envelope of money clutched in it and she gaped at him, his wink telling her everything.

"I really did not want half, I only wanted to show off and impress you." He admitted and she groaned, pulling her arm down and she opened the envelope of bills and counted half of it out. She handed him the rest and rolled her eyes, he accepting the currency and she put her share in her wallet from the pouch she had on her hip.

"You didn't have to show off, I was already impressed by the bird.' She said and grinned at him. "You can buy dinner."

He put an arm around her shoulders, walking with her out of the arena and they laughed together. The raven in the trees above them watching, neither one of them realizing what was going on and they wandered among the stalls. Loki bought a few trinkets that he liked, and Liz made other purchases. Together they walked as friends, and the raven flapped his wings and flew into the darkening sky.

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Odin waited for the return of his familiar, sitting alone in his Chambers as Frigga paced hers. She did not talk to him for the rest of the long day, keeping her thoughts on what had occurred to herself and he tapped the arm of his throne with his fingertips.

A rustle of feathers pulled him from his thoughts, Munnin landing next to him and he touched the feathered piece of night next to him. Through that touch, he gained all the information he needed and frowned. He was becoming close, if not protective of the dying Mortal he had chosen for the task of keeping Loki. This would make his leaving more difficult, and he would most likely act as Thor did at the prospect of leaving the girl on Earth. He may even try to bring her back to Asgard, causing chaos if her did not get his way.

He stood, knowing that the temptation of being a God with vast powers would be greater than a foolish bond with this Midgardian woman. And he knew that her death would be a passing moment in Loki's endless life, a blink to clear her away, and then he would never think about her again.

It was in his nature to forget trivial things after all.

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Liz ate the last of the sandwiches he bought them, the grass in the field swaying in the breeze around them and she laughed at he made a mouse appear to tease a hawk. She lay back in the grass, and sighed as she watched the stars start to twinkle in the sky.

"This was an awesome day, thanks for being a good sport." She said and he leaned back and watched with her.

"I would say that it was, most productive." He replied, pleased with the return of some of his magic, his thoughts turned to taking over Asgard again and he pictured it. He would of course bring his strongest supporter, and he would have her healed of her ailment after taking what was his. She could be his friend as he ruled, and he frowned at the thought of having her watch as he had Odin and Thor executed. He looked over at her, and she sighed as she frowned about something.

"Loki... can you make me a promise?" She asked him and he sat up, studying her a moment and she looked at him.

"What sort of oath would I be making?" He asked her and she bit her lip as she thought, her eyes searching the grass as she looked for the right words.

"When you get all your powers and stuff back, and no matter what happens here or anywhere else... could you not go back to being all evil and crazy?" She asked him and he frowned at her. She was asking him to abandon his goals of taking Asgard by force, she was asking him to leave it all to whatever fate was laid out for Thor. She bit her lip, looking at him and he shook his head.

"Whatever then, it is nice having you being decent right now. We should get back to the house." She said and started picking up her trash, he grabbed her hands and looked at her. She blinked back tears, and she sighed. "I just was worried that if you got caught again, you would not be sent away again like you are now. You would be killed... and the world is way more interesting with you in it."

"You truly mean this? You only want me to promise you this, so that I might live?" He asked, and she nodded.

"I just think you are a cool friend and I am worried..."

"That I would die." He said and she nodded again. He let go of her hands, and he took one in his, holding it and closing his other hand over the shake. He said a quick few words in Old Norse, and she blinked at him.

"What did that mean?" She asked and he grinned, still holding her hand.

"I made a pledge that while your soul existed somewhere within Valhalla and the other Nine Realms, that I would honor your request." He said, and she hugged him. He fell back in the grass and she sat back, laughing and he joined her.

"I am going to hold you to that Pledge." She said and he grinned at her. His mind moved to another idea then, instead of keeping her in Asgard, he could remain with her here as her constant friend. They had argued, but she did not irritate him the way other Mortals had. She was different from them as well, not treating him as a fool as he learned from her, but as an equal.

He watched the stars, wondering if her could find a way to keep her as his friend for a longer time.


	15. The Internet

Chapter 15.

Loki was reading a book peacefully on the couch when it was taken from his hands suddenly. He glared up, seeing Elizabeth hand him a flat device and lay his book on the table. She plugged it in, and opened it up for him to reveal a set of lettered keys and a screen. He felt irritated at her, but hid is to spare her having to face the brunt of his ire. He sat back against the couch, looking at the device and he let out a calming breath.

"What, may I ask are you doing?" He asked and she huffed at him, crossing her arms.

"I am going to teach you how to use a computer, and search the internet." She said and he groaned, setting it aside and reaching for his book. She stepped in front of him, blocking his reach with a denim covered set of legs. He followed the seam up past her light blue, cotton tunic and she had the look on her face that indicated that she meant business.

"I do not see how anyone would be interested in such a thing. It seems foolish, one could always pick up a book instead." He said and she put the computer back in his lap. She looked at him and pressed a button on it, the screen turning on and she sat next to him.

"It is interesting, because, you can find out any information you want from it faster than any book. And you need to know this stuff it you want to survive on this planet." She said and he sighed, waiting for her to budge. "What if you need a phone number? Or directions to a building or something? You can find it all using Google."

"Who is Google?" He asked, and she laughed at him. Her face turning red and her eyes closing, he groaned to himself and she shrugged and she showed him how to use the touch pad to open things on the screen.

"Show me this Internet." He sighed, and she pointed at the small picture of a fox made of flames.

"Open that, it will take you to the internet and open a search window for you." She said and he clicked on it. The screen turned white with a box in the center of it, around it was several articles concerning the current events. He looked at her, and she typed using the letter keys something called YouTube and he waited for her instruction.

"Click on search with your pointer, it will bring you a bunch of results on the words you entered." She said and he followed her directions, he saw the screen fill with all the results and she pointed at one. The letters were blue, and she directed him to click on that link. He did so, a new view opening and more options for him to select from opened in the shape of boxes announcing videos.

"You can learn a lot from this page, say you want to fix your car or something. You just type what you want to see, and click search. Keep in mind, that you may have to wade through the results until you find what you are looking for, there is a lot of junk. Go ahead and type in a search to look for Funny Cats." She said and he did so, his fingers finding the letters and he clicked the search. More results popped up, his eyes going wide and he selected one of a cat stuck in some blinds.

"And you can look at humorous animals, I am so very facinated." He said and she rolled her eyes, groaning at him.

"Click the next option, that one was funny." She said and he watched a video open of a cat stealing bagels, both of them laughing and she pointed at the screen. "Click that one there, it is super funny."

He did so, watching the video open and they laughed together. She held her stomach, falling over on the cushions and he continued clicking videos and learning how to select search options from the lists. They ended up finding humourous pictures, Liz challenging him to order a food called Pizza as a test and she praised him for accomplishing it. She then let him pick a movie from Netflix while they ate the food he ordered from the computer, watching it on the television and he found himself wanting to work more at the computer and internet. She let him explore, his fingers tapping out words and he read the information about topics that he searched on a screen called Wikipedia. She returned, looking over his shoulder and nodding her approval as she sat next to him on the couch cross legged and played some entertainment game on the television.

"You made good progress, maybe you should stop for today. Before your eyes cross." She suggested, and Loki watched her show him how to close the screens she called windows and turn of the device. "You can use it more later, we need to get out and have a walk before our butts become permanently attached to the couch."

"I could do with a stroll, it sounds like a good plan to me." He agreed and they walked out the back door and through the fields of lavender, the warm sun releasing their scent and it relaxing them as they walked together.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Loki walked the hall, unable to sleep when he tapped on Liz's doorframe. She was still dressed and laying on her stomach in her shoes, her hair hiding her face. He walked toward her, removing one shoe and then the other, trying to make her more comfortable and she moaned weakly in response. He put a hand on her back, meaning to ask her if she needed one of her pain tablets for her headaches, but pulled away as if he were burned.

She was roasting with a fever, and he did not know what to do.

"Elizabeth, wake up, you are unwell." He said, giving her a shake and he stepped back as she merely moaned in response again. He looked around the room, his mind a flurry as what to do and he remembered Google. He ran down the stairs, his heart pounding as he opened the screen and turned on the computer. He opened the internet and typed the word "fever" into the question box, and the results came back to him instantly. He read them, finding one on how to reduce a fever and he read it carefully, committing it to memory and he ran back up the stairs.

"Elizabeth, do you have something called Asprin?" He asked and she pointed to her bathroom weakly. He opened a mirrored cabinet, searching the bottles in it and found the bottle he was looking for. He then filled the tub with cool water, and filled the glass near her toothbrush to give her the tablets.

She moaned as she sat up and Loki put them in her mouth, pressing the glass to her lips and urging her to drink. He then pulled her shirt off over her head, and she gave a weak scream at what was happening to her. She swatted at him, but was too weak to fight him and she groaned and lay her head on his shoulder. He opted to leave the garment covering her breasts on, to give her some modesty and pulled her socks and jeans off. He carried her to the bathroom, putting her in the barely warm water and she moaned in protest, trying to get out and he held her in the water.

"No. You need this, your body temperature is far too hot." He said, trying to be gentle and he placed a cool washcloth over her hair. He poured the water over her shoulders, doing his best to not look at her bare skin too long and rested his head on the edge of her tub. She lay back, shivering and he held her in the water with one hand on her stomach. He waited for her to calm, and she whimpered and resigned herself to the bath.

"I feel so sick Loki. I'm sorry I can't fix you anymore food." She whimpered, her eyes closing and she drifting a bit.

"I know, and do not fret over it. I used your Google to find this remedy, relax and let it cool you." He said, and her hand came out of the water to cover his. It was still far too warm, and he worried about her then as he kept his eyes on her. He deliberated running back down the stairs to see if there were other ways to help her, but stayed in case she needed him.

"I will dry you off in a little while, right now you are still far too hot." He said, pouring more water over her shoulders with his hands and wishing he was sure he was doing everything correctly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Elizabeth woke, her bed warm and soft around her aching muscles and she sat up slowly. She looked down at herself, realizing that she was wearing nothing but an oversized AC/DC shirt that came from Loki's stuff and nothing else. She panicked a moment, seeing Loki leaned back in the chair from across the hall asleep and she wondered what happened to her.

" Loki?" She asked, nervous to get up and he blinked at her, his eyes opening again and he streched.

"You had a fever, I put you in a bath of cool water and gave you tablets of Aspirin. According to The Google, you should rest still and drink water to recover. The symptoms you presented with match something called The Flu." He said and she turned red, pulling the blankets over her.

"You... you saw me naked." She said and he nodded, leaning his head back against the chair. She figured that it was not so bad, considering his not being interested in women and she seeing him naked, but it was still a bit embarassing.

"Only briefly to dry you off and put that tunic on you." He said and she rubbed her face.

"Shirt." She said and he blinked at her. "We call them shirts."

"Then I shall correct my vernacular to reflect that." He said and stood up and walked to the side of the bed. He put his hand on her forehead, and she blinked at him as he nodded and she shivered again. "You are still warm, I will get you two more of those aspirin. I also found a soup that was recommended for this fever on your internet, it is almost done."

"Wait, you cooked? Now I am freaked out, what if you burnt down my house? What if it takes on a mind of it's own and tries to eat someone?" She asked and he rolled his eyes. He crossed his arms over his chest, sighing down at her and he waited for her to calm.

"I found the video on the YouTube and followed the instructions exactly. I will bring you some to eat with more orange juice." He said and she lay back on the pillows, blinking at him and she shrugged a bit. He turned to leave, and she stopped him by grabbing his hand.

"Can you bring some Kleenex too please? My nose is running." She said and he nodded, leaving her and motioning for her to stay in the bed. She smoothed the quilt over herself, waiting patiently for him to return with the food and resolved to eat it no matter how bad it was.

Loki walked down the stairs and I to the kitchen, his concern for Liz passing and he looked at the simmering pot of ingredients. He had to improvise on some of the spices that the woman in the video said were needed, and he hoped it turned out edible. He took a spoon and stirred the ingredients, watching them float around and tasted it. It was not bad at all, and he was impressed with himself for his culinary skills. He served a bowl of it with a large glass of juice and two of the Asprin tablets for Liz, putting it all on a tray and laughing to himself about how their roles changed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"He still will not allow me to travel to Midgard." Thor said, sitting heavily on the couch and sighing. He looked at Frigga, wanting to get angry and she sat next to him. She took one of his hands and he smiled at her, hating to disappoint his mother but having to.

"I understand. He is very bull headed at times, and hard to convince otherwise." She said and she sighed. "The Mortal woman was ill, I saw him take care of her. She is recovering, but her body heals much slower than his."

"I know Loki, as well as you do Mother. He will find a way to help her for his own means, he needs her more than she needs him." Thor said, looking at the fire and waving his hand at it. "I do not know why you keep watching him, Father says that he will return unless he regains both his magic and immortality. He is a lost soul to Father, and I fear that these bridges will never be mended."

"He said what? His original word was that Loki could return, given that he learned to be humble and see that the Midgardians were not low creatures." Frigga said, standing and folding her hands. Thor saw a flash of anger in her eyes, and he felt nervous at the sight. She was always the calm one, the woman who stood to hold their family together in strife. But now she was angry, and with good right.

"Mother." Thor said, and she shook her head, walking toward the doors.

"I will be speaking to your Father, he needs to understand that he cannot change or break his promises without facing reprucussions. Especially from me." Frigga said, leaving her son sitting on the couch. In the flames, he saw Loki sitting in a chair next to the woman on the bed and he was helping her to eat some food from a bowl. He smiled at the image, the woman laughing and nodding at the food he was giving her. It was almost like seeing his old brother again, the man he should have been the entire time, had he not been lied to.

"I do hope Father realizes what he is doing, and I hope you realize what you have done to us Loki." He said, watching the two persons talk to eachother, and the God feed the Mortal with care.


	16. Michael

Chapter 16.

"Okay. This soup is really good, I am really impressed." Liz said and set her spoon down on the tray. She coughed into her hand, and he grinned at her compliment. "Like, really good. You watched a YouTube video to make this?"

"I did, and thank you for your compliment." Loki replied, standing from the chair to take the tray with the dirty dishes to the kitchen. He set them on a table in the hall, walking back to fill her glass with water.

"I bet you are glad that I showed you how to use a computer now." She said, taking the glass and grinning at him sheepishly. She laid back down, getting comfortable and started feeling a bit embarrassed that he had seen her naked and she squirmed a bit.

"I am. And I admit that it was a useful information to have." He said and saw her discomfort, he sat back down and he frowned at her. "I was rather concerned about your fever, it was high."

"That's cool. I just never thought you would see me in my Birthday Suit." She said and he frowned, blinking at her.

"You were in no suit, you were undressed." He said and she started laughing, laying back on the bed and it triggered a coughing fit. She rolled on her side away from him and shook with the coughing, doing her best to calm herself.

"No... I meant... Oh man!" She said and rolled back on her back. "A Birthday Suit means you are naked." She said and grinned, the laughter showing in her eyes. "I guess it is fair though, I saw you in yours. It makes is even now."

"I imagine this does bring a new intimacy to our friendship." He said and she giggled, fighting back another coughing fit and she nodded.

"Yeah. You... were not so bad to look at though." She said and he turned back toward her, his eyes wide and his ears turning red. She grinned at him smugly and snuggled under her blankets, he frowning as he sat and tapping the arm of his chair.

"Well, You were rather pleasing on my eyes as well." He replied to tease her and she shot up, her hair flipping and she blinked in shocked at him. "I will certainly enjoy that vision later on, as I drift to sleep this evening. It may inspire a thousand nights of very pleasant dreams."

"You had to make it akward!" She said, throwing a plush missile from behind her head and hitting him with a pillow. He tried to block another blow, and he laughed as she moved to her knees to decent herself.

"You started this battle of wills, now stop that and rest before you bring the fever back worse." He scolded, making her lay back down and she pulled the blankets over herself. She groaned, covering her face and he could see her turn red. She lay still, sitting up when the sound of a vehicle in the dirt driveway got their attention. She looked out the windows, and a smaller car of dark blue was parking outside. She groaned, watching the man get out and she looked like she wanted to cry.

"No, oh come on. What does he want?" She said, getting out of the bed and staring as she stood in her bare feet. Loki narrowed his eyes at Michael, not liking his presence at all. He stood, moving to walk downstairs and Liz stopped him quickly.

"Wait! Let me handle him, I will just tell him I am sick and he will have to leave. Don't go all Bodyguard on me or anything, he is all talk and no balls to back anything up. I pretty sure that Sara keeps those in her purse." She said, rolling her eyes at the knock from the front door and she grabbed her robe to cover that she was wearing only an oversized shirt. She wrapped it around herself, the knock coming louder and she hurried down the stairs.

"I'm coming!" She said, lowering her voice as he followed her. "Dont get your panties in a bunch."

She walked to the door, opening it and Micheal stared at her. He pushed past, looking around and frowned at her robe. She sighed, closing the door with a flourish and hid her annoyance at his lack of manners. Her attempts to stop him being ignored, and he walked around the house as if her were looking for someone.

"What is going on Liz? First you show up with some dude from another Country, and now you are in bed all day?" He snapped and she groaned and coughed, hoping to make him realize he was not welcome.

"I have the flu. Thanks for asking, Sara dump you or something? You are awfully pushy for someone who does not live here anymore." She snapped back, and Loki stepped down the rest of the stairs to watch them as he walked into the sitting room.

"Where is your new boyfriend? He too good to take care of you?" He snapped and she rolled her eyes, crossing her arms at him and she tapped her bare foot.

"We are just friends, you know? Guys and girls can have a non-sexual relationship and still get along, sorry you were born a Neandertal." She snapped back and Loki watched from the stairs into the room. "What do you want? Because, the faster you leave, the faster I can go back to bed and get better."

"I came back to see if you were okay." He said and Liz paused a moment, staring at him and she blinked at him. "You looked so depressed, and me leaving after your family... it was a douche move."

"I'm fine Michael. And as for you leaving, it was not really a bad thing. We are better off broken up, and I am over it." She said and Loki saw him walk to her, wrapping his arms around her and he stiffened with a bit of jealousy. His eyes narrowed, and he glared at them as he rubbed her back and he clenched his fists. He turned to walk back up the stairs, wanting to slam his fists into the wall but a whimper from her stopped him.

"Let me go, this is not cool." She said, and Loki ducked low to observe what was happening. He saw the man kiss her forehead, his hands combing her hair and she pushed against him with shock written on her face.

"I wanted to say that I was sorry too, and wanted to make it up to you." He said and she struggled, trying to get away from him. His hand slipped between them and she felt him undo the sash on her robe, she pushed back and he grinned down at her with lust filled eyes.

"Thanks for the apology, but this is not cool Michael. I don't think you should be here right now, I'm really sick." She said and he held onto her tighter.

"You smell so damn good Liz, I miss the way you smell. He... he is not around is he? Left you all alone, and I came along." He said, and she struggled as his hand slipped up her chest. She pushed harder, trying not to scream and he began groping her. "I missed you so much."

"Let me go!" She shouted, pushing against him and he forced his mouth over hers, she panicked and started scratching at his cheeks and neck. Doing anything she could to get him to let her go, and she mentally screamed for Loki to help her.

"No. I have wanted this for a long time baby, and I know you have." He growled at her and threw her down to the floor. She yelped in pain, and she tried to get away but he was faster. He grabbed her around the waist from behind and started unbuttoning his pants, her shouts and kicking alerting Loki. He jumped the stairs, and saw her struggling on the floor against the bastard on top of her and he saw red.

"Get away from her you beast!" He shouted, grabbing Michael by the shoulders and he threw him across the room. He stood there, his control slipping and he turned. His skin turning blue, and his eyes shifting red as Liz lay on her back and sobbed in fear. Her eyes fixed on him, and he glared at the bastard in his sights. Michael stared in mute fear, the temperature dropping in the room and a warmth spread over his crotch as he urinated himself.

"Don't... Hurt me man. She wanted it." He said and tried to run toward the door. Loki was faster, slamming a hand over it before Michael could yank it open and glaring at him.

"If you return to this house, I will emasculate you and display it for all to see. Am I understood?" He hissed, his red eyes boring holes into the terrified man and he nodded silently. Loki opened the door for him, gesturing for him to leave and Michael raced down the stairs his eyes going wide as Loki pulled three hairs from his head. "Say anything of what you saw, and I will torment you in the worst of ways as well. I am quite creative, and will find where you are. There is no safe harbor for you anymore."

Michael ran toward his car, shaking in fear and Loki closed the door and locked it. He turned around, seeing Liz standing behind him and shivering with the cold. She had tears in her eyes, and she stared at him in silence. She took a slow step forward, lifting her hand and he turned his face away. He wanted to hide, hating himself for showing her this and he closed his eyes.

"Is this... what a Jotun looks like?" She asked him and he looked back at her, and she reached up to touch him. He stepped out of her reach, but her fingers found a ridge on his arm and she traced it up to his shirt. He frowned, and she turned his face back to her and studied him and her face crumpled.

"Liz... I..." he started, but stopped as she wrapped her arms around him and started sobbing. He shifted back, holding her and let her cry into his shirt.

"Thank you... Thank you so much." She coughed out, he lifting her up and carrying her back to bed. He walked her up the stairs, his eyes brimming in tears and he lay her back down. He covered her in the blankets, letting her cry until she fell asleep. He collapsed into the chair next to the bed, burying his face in his hands and let himself shake for a long time. His insecurities playing at his mind and he noticed something around his arm, a green mist sinking into his pores and he watched it as it became a part of him again.

He sat back in the chair, watching the light fade and hating the man she once showed romantic interest in. He was a pig, and an insult to his gender as a whole. Loki looked over at Elizabeth, his rage dissipating and he covered her a bit more to sleep. He would ensure that this Michael never returned to bother her again, even if it meant remaining on Midgard.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Loki saw her roll onto her side, his neck painful from sleeping in the chair and he stretched it the best he could while mentally cursing his now mortal body and the aches that came with it. She coughed, covering her mouth with both hands and she tried to clear her throat. She sat up, licking her lips and drank the glass of water next to her bed with gusto.

"Morning." She croaked, her voice hoarse and he almost laughed, but changed his mind at the look on her face.

"Good Morning. Perhaps a hot bath will help your throat, shall I prepare one?" He asked and she nodded, her hand on her throat as she sat up.

"I... have... a... scratchy... throat." She managed to say, the coarseness of her voice worrying him and he nodded. He put a hand on her shoulder, showing her the garments he had taken out for her as she slept and she have him a thumbs up.

"It may be best that you not try to speak, your voice may come back if you remain quiet." He said and she nodded, she picked up the clothes and carried them into the other room to clean herself up. He groaned to himself, feeling worn out and he rubbed his face. He walked across the hall to his Chambers, opening a drawer and selecting a blue pair of the Levi's she gave him and a black collared shirt with three buttons at the neck. He selected a pair of underahorts as well, adding some socks and walked k to his bathroom to bathe himself.

He lifted his arms to shuck off the shirt, wrinkling his nose in distaste at the smell of his underarms and lowered them quickly. The perfumed stick was where he left it, and he found himself liking the innovation of covering the odor of sweat with it. It was more pleasant than the heavy layers of cologne and perfumes many people wore in Asgard, and more efficient as well. He pondered if he should take some of the stick back to Asgard to see if it would catch on.

He filled the tub, letting the water steam up and he stripped off his pants and undershorts. He liked the garment in a way as well, they kept his more sensitive parts from chafing against his trousers. The soft fabric of them also keeping everything in place when he moved. He also did not constantly feel the need to adjust himself, the act he found boorish as Thor was quite proud to do so often. Midgard, for all its flaws was a cunning race of people, he had to admit to that.

He sank into the water, letting his stiff back muscles relax and he leaned his head back against the incline of the basin. He thought about how he had Liz in her tub, her body shivering and he heard her cough across the hall. He left the door cracked and he opened one eye, his concern growing because she could not ask him for help with her voice. He heard her walking about, a sharp gasp being taken in followed by a familiar voice.

"I am sorry if I startled you Lady, I am looking for Loki." Frigga said and he sat up in the water. His eyes went wide, and he nearly slipped getting out of it and applying the stick under his arms as he dried himself off.

"I am in here! Elizabeth has no voice, don't come in!" He shouted and he pulled the undershorts on and then the Levi's, he opened the door after running his fingers through his hair and he saw Liz standing next to Frigga in her black pants that hugged her body, and an oversized shirt with the legend "David Bowie" printed on it. She was staring in awe of the woman, and she tried her best to give a curtsy and nearly tripped over her black slippers.

"No need for that Lady Elizabeth, I seem to be a guest in you home. And it is quite lovely, if you will allow me to say." Frigga said and she nodded, turning toward Loki and she waved her hands.

"Your... mom... Queen... oh man." She croaked and Loki did his best not to laugh at the struggling girl. He waved a hand for her to relax and he pulled the shirt on over his head. Frigga was wearing a lovely and stylish suit in cream, her hair styled in a French twist and she wore a pair of white leather pumps, her entire ensemble very chic and it complimented her well. Liz stared, opened mouthed and the woman smiled politely at her.

"You are a very pretty young woman, if I may also say." Frigga said, Liz grinning and she gestured to say thank you. Both women regarding Loki, amd he let out a long breath. He assumed that he should have expected this, amd honestly should not have been so surprised. He composed himself, looking at the woman who raised him amd crossed his arms.

"Hello Mother." Loki said, not hiding his irritation. "What brings you for a visit?"


	17. The Visit

Chapter 17.

"I came to see how you were getting on, I have been so very worried about you." Frigga replied, looking at Liz and she smiled at the girl. "Please, you are unwell. Go on and sit for your health, I truly do not wish to cause you any further stress."

"Yes... your... majesty." She croaked, footsteps coming up the stairs getting their attention, they all looking at the door and a blond oaf grinning in at them.

"Loki!" Thor said, grinning and he looked at Elizabeth. "Is this the poor girl that has to suffer through your presence? I am Thor, Prince of Asgard and saviour of your planet."

"I... would... not ... call it... suffering." She shot back, crossing her arms and Loki hid his amusement at her. Frigga sighed, looking back at Thor and she waved her hands. He grinned at Liz, and he winked at Loki with a quick adjustment of his genitals.

"She is pretty. Too bad about her voice, I imagine you work around that." Thor said and Liz rolled her eyes at him, her ire rising and Frigga looked cross.

"She has been unwell, normally she does not sound like she has been eating glass. It is rude of you to assume that we are more than friends." Loki retorted, looking at the both of them and frowning. "As you can see, I am quite well and getting on in understanding customs, and their technology and such. I need no concern from you, nor did I seek it out."

"I could see that Dear, I was just hoping to see if you were happy here. There is so much going on since you left..." Frigga started, and he cut her off with a look.

"Since I was banished and stripped of my powers, all because I was lead to understand through Thor's actions that I was living in your home under false pretenses. Yet, my giving truth to the lie I was fed was a crime, and now I take my punishment with dignity." He said, Liz sitting down in the chair and following the conversation. "You could have told me that I was not your Son, that Odin was not my Father, but you continued the lie. You all made me a bad pun in your house. It was just..."

"Shitty." Liz croaked and he grinned at her, she giving him a thumbs up and Loki sighed to himself.

"Loki, I told you. We did not want you to feel any different, I wanted you to feel that you belonged. I cannot see you as anything more than the child I was given, the child I raised to be a man." She reasoned, he turning and looking out the window and shaking his head. He glanced back at her, his face falling and he closed his eyes for a moment. Liz felt bad for Frigga, her eyes filling with tears for the two people hurting most in the room and she handed the Queen a tissue. She took it, dabbing her eyes and smiled at the woman in gratitude.

"But it was still a falsehood, I did not truly belong. Neither shall I ever, the bastard son of a Frost Giant, the stalking monster, and now the beast that should be dead." He replied and Frigga looked at her hands. She opened them, a smile on her face and she looked at her son.

"Your Father..."

"HE IS NOT MY FATHER!" He screamed at her, Liz jumping up and Thor moving to protect the two women. He crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at Loki and Liz groaned to herself.

"Am I not your Mother then?" She asked and he shook his head.

"You are not." He said, and he turned to see pain in her eyes. Liz ducked around Thor, the muscular brute blocking the door and she looked sad. She had no voice, but her eyes spoke volumes at his outburst.

"Always so perceptive about others, but never yourself." She said and he let out a long breath and could not look at her anymore, he stared out the window and blinked at the sunny day outside it.

"I believe this visit is over, unless you are here to tell me that I am free to return to status." He said and Frigga shook her head, her hands folding. She walked toward him, and she embraced him.

"Your friend was a bit startled by our presence in her chambers suddenly. We will leave the way we came, I do miss you and so do others." She said and Loki returned the embrace. Thor rested a hand on Liz's head, her eyes narrowing in irritation and Loki groaned to himself.

"Thor, she is shorter than all of us, but she does not appreciate that." He said, and the oaf moved his hand. Liz rubbed her head, her eyes closing and she pressed her hands to her eyes. She held her head, and she whimpered as she turned pale and she started to sink to the floor.

"Hel." Loki said, helping her to stay on her feet and he walked her into her room. Frigga followed them, her worry for the girl growing and she heald her arm while Loki dug through a drawer. She made small sounds, unable to speak and he tied a soft scarf over her eyes and gave her one of the tablets and some water to swallow it with. She lay on her side, Frigga watching and he leaned over her to put her pillow into her arms as she lay.

"Her head pains her terribly at times, there is no predicting when it will occur." Loki explained, letting Liz relax and Thor crossed his arms.

"Does she need a Healer? We could take her to Asgard..." He started and Loki shook his head, Frigga stopping Thor and she watched him cover her after removing her shoes.

"She is under the care of a Healer here." Loki said, and stood from the bed as Liz lay on the bed trying to relax. "She needs quiet until this passes, and I need to go and finish making lotions to sell so she earns a fair income. I help her, and she gives me a fair wage for my assistance."

"We will take our leave then. You have everything sorted here, and Odin has given us very little time here." Frigga said , walking with her son to the stairs. Thor looked back at the woman on the bed, and shook his head in pity.

"Thank you for your visit, I do like it when I am allowed to not be so monitored however. But that is for the safety of the Realms, is it not?" He asked, Frigga stopping and she looked at him as he opened the door to the house. Thor struggled with something, his voice getting lost and he stood on the porch and whatched them walk back toward the arrival place. He sighed under his breath, knowing that he would have to rake the dirt to cover it and he walked back into the house and closed the door after him. A blinding flash of light filled the house, and he leaned against the wall and looked up at the ceiling above him. His thoughts a mass of worry and regret.

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He sat heavily on the couch, reading a book when Liz came in from the barn. She was quiet to save her voice and she scratched out a message on a piece of paper with a pen, handing him the pad. He read it, shrugging a bit and he set his book aside.

"I am well, thank you." He said, giving her back the paper. "You should be resting, not worrying about how much we have for the next market."

She rolled her eyes, sighing and wrote out something on the pad again and she handed it to him. His eyes scanning the page and he grinned at it, chuckling to himself.

"Says the guy who just told his family to fuck off. She only wanted to make sure you were fine, like all good moms do." She had written and she sat next to him, he felt guilt for what he said to Frigga and he closed his eyes a moment. He handed her back the pad of paper, her hands folding oiver it and he did his best to hide his feelings.

"They all lied to me Liz, I don't expect you to understand, but I hope that you could at least not meddle. This is not for you to fix, but to just ignore as I have for so long." He said and she frowned at him. He blinked and she leaned toward him, putting her head on his shoulder and he sat back against the cushions. His arm went around her and they sat quietly, she writing something else out and the words made strange sense to him.

"Forgive things in other people, and then forgive them in yourself. It sucks to carry around so much anger, it will eventually turn to a cancer and consume you." He read, and he shook his head at the wisdom in those words.

"I suppose you are right, but it may take me some time to forgive certain things. They lied, telling me that I was born to be a King, that I was born for greater things." He replied and she wrote out her response, handing the paper back to him and he nodded.

"Maybe you are doing something greater now. Maybe, this is what you were born for." He read, and blinked at Liz. Her gave her shoulder a squeeze, resting his cheek on the top of her head. He sat quietly, groaning to himself and staring out the window for a long time before speaking again.

"I am glad you have such faith in me Elizabeth, I only hope that I can earn that one day." He said, and she scratched something on the pad and handed it back to him. His eyes reading it, and he blinked back tears.

"You already have."


	18. Orting

Chapter 18.

Loki was in a terrible mood for the next three days, his pacing and quiet brooding punctuated by sharp and terse responses. He hardly spoke to Elizabeth, and given her voice was still ragged, she was happy to just remain quiet. He hated that Frigga and Thor had come, their presence reminding him that he had no place in their Realm and that he was the cast off and forgotten child of a monster and someone they never hoped to meet. His brooding was cut short however, Liz knocking on the doorframe the night before to remind him that the Market in Orting was that day and he gave her a silent nod in response. He watched her leave, stretching himself our on the bed and laying with an arm behind his head as he made a bird that circled above him in flight. His thoughts a whirlwind as he closed his fist and it vanished, turning on his side to stare at the wall.

The next morning, he was a bit better. Helping Liz load the Jeep, and noticing some subtle changes in Liz as they worked. She struggled a bit more, a limp in her normal gait as she walked to and fro that seemed to improve as they finished the task. She looked exhausted and he wondered if it was because of him, her eyes having dark circles under them and her body looking strangely fragile. He put his hand on her shoulder, she looking at him and she started the vehicle.

"I'm fine, I just slept for crap last night. I also did not take my meds yesterday, I think I am feeling it today." She said, he nodding and she rested a moment while the vehicle warmed up. She smiled at him, her eyes laughing and she rested a hand on his knee. "How are you? You were awfully quiet the last few days."

"I am well. I... I did not expect the company that we had. Nothing more." He replied and she nodded, she backed the vehicle onto the driveway, and he braced himself for the ruts at the end of it. He leaned his head back, and she drove over them and turned onto the road. She took a different path this time, aiming for the mountain he saw often from the fields and she turned onto an empty highway.

"I am glad you are better. It was sort of boring having a moody dude in the room across the hall." She said, earning a chuckle from him and he grinned at her. "I will buy you a Mocha, it will help."

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The hot afternoon dragged on, Liz fighting to keep up with people waiting to pay and Loki doing his best as well. During a lull, she sat in her seat and leaned her head back against the brick wall behind them. One vendor he noticed that was missing, was the illustrious Sara and her boy puppet. He gave no thought to the lack of their being present, counting out change for a woman and handing her the bag.

"We seem to be doing quite well." He said, Liz picking up her second Iced Coffee and sipping it through the straw. He sat in his own chair, watching her a moment and he frowned at the tremor that appeared in her right hand.

"I'm glad, it makes all this stuff we made worthwhile." She replied, people walking past them again and casually glancing at their goods.

"Are you still unwell?" He asked her, touching the back of her hand and she shook her head. She grinned at him, taking off her sunglasses and cleaning them on the tail of her green button up shirt and adjusting it over her black leggings.

"Just worn out still. I probably will sleep way better tonight, want something to eat?" She asked, pointing at the Hot Dog Vendor down the way. Loki wrinkled his nose in disgust as the food, repressing a shudder at the thought and he shook his head.

"Norns no! I would never eat dog meat." He said, and Liz coughed as she choked on her coffee. She leaned forward, laughing harder than he expected and she threw her head back. He frowned at her, not seeing the humor in what he had just said and she coughed again.

"It is not... Not dog. They are like sausages, they... they are made of beef or pork." She said, slapping her knees and laughing again. He rolled his eyes, trying not to be irritated at her and he groaned. "We just call them that. Or sometimes weiners."

"Then why not call them sausage? The name is very deceiving, and horrifying. I was starting to cringe at all the people eating those things." He balked, Liz hiding more laughter and she covered her mouth as a customer walked up to their stand. She tapped his shoulder, gesturing to the woman and stood up.

"You work your mojo, I am going to get us a beef sausage." She said, grinning as she walked away. The woman blushed as she handed him the candle and two soaps, her eyes following his body and he felt somewhat scrutinized for a moment.

"Fourty dollars even." He said, smiling at her and he bagged the candle and soaps. She stared as he bent over to get her a sachet and he felt a hand ghost over his backside, making him stand up quickly and he blinked at the woman.

"Thanks!" She said, giggling and she took her bag from him. He tried to hide his embarassment at the unwanted advance, sitting back in the chair and watched the women's hips sway as she walked. Liz made her way back to the stand, her hands filled with two plates and he blinked at the food she gave him.

"You look paler than usual, what's up?" She asked him and he shook his head, he saw the woman wink at him and he picked up the bread encased meat and ate some.

"That woman fondled my ass." He said, and Liz nearly spit coffee on him. She turned her head, swallowing and he groaned at her again. She covered her face, laughing as she pinched her eyes shut.

"You got molested by a woman and you are offended, most guys would be happy to be in your position." She laughed, her face turning red. "Do you need an Ass Guard?"

"Oh hel." He groaned, laughing with her for a moment and he ate another bite of his food. She calmed down enough to eat some of hers, his eyes falling on the mountain a few miles away from them and he admired it for a moment.

"I almost thought you were mature." He sighed, shaking his head and she shrugged at him with a grin.

"Maturity is a dirty word to me, and it has absolutely nothing to do with soap making." She laughed, he returning it and finishing his food. He stretched, looking at the people as they passed by and he let out a long breath. His eyes returning to Elizabeth and he smiled at her, something in him drawing him closer to her. He did find her attractive, and he did have a physical response to her, but could there be more in her eyes for him than friendship? He had only found the one girl, all those years ago able to stir him this way and he felt somewhat confused at his own emotions.

"What's up? You are grinning like a fool over there." She asked, he shaking his head and blinking.

"Just thinking about something from long ago, and I am wondering if I would have it again." He said and she shrugged, her head cocking to the side and she rested her head on her elbow.

"I would suggest not giving up, you never know what is coming your way. Some things sort of creep up on you, other hit you like a truck when you least expect them." She replied and he knitted his brows ar the strange wisdom she imparted. He was almost at a loss as he watched her sit up, her eyes heavy still and she leaned back in the chair. He smiled, taking the next four transactions himself, letting her sleep. By the fifth, her head was forward and she was resting so well that he just continued on with making the sales and pleasing the ladies that seemed to gravitate toward the stand.

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They arrived back at the house as the sun sank low behind the trees, Liz stepped down from the Jeep and stretched. Her arms above her head an a vee, and she groaned with it. He watched her climb up the steps, and she used her key to open the door. He followed her in with the cash box and watched her sit heavily on the sofa.

"I can't believe we did as good as we did." She said, blinking at the light and she grinned to herself. "We may actually afford to eat next week."

"That seems to be quite the relief, eating is rather important to the functioning of our bodies." He said and Liz groaned to herself. She laughed a bit, her eyes closing and she opened them and shook her head.

"Just like sleep." She said and checked the time. She grinned, picking up the controls for the television and turning it on. "But, I have to see Walking Dead tonight."

"What is Walking Dead?" Loki asked and sat on the couch next to her, watching the screen. He thought it was a video, like on You Tube, and was surprised to see Mortal Actors and Actresses running across the screen. The Drama played out and he was somewhat shocked at the violence, he watching as the feared creatures attacked the living persons and they fought for their survival. He did not like the gruesome imagery however, and Liz proved to not enjoy it very much either as she covered her face during a rather violent part.

"Yuck! That is so nasty!" She said, shaking her head and covering her face again. "Why do they have to show the zombies eating the people?"

"To push along the story they are telling?" He suggested, closing his eyes for a moment as they cut the head off of a creature and others tried to follow after the Mortals. He cringed at the use of blood, and was internally grateful when it was over. He had been in battle in the past and was able to stomach the carnage of it, but he found little entertaining about this sort of violence. He yawned to himself, looking at Elizabeth as she picked at the back of her hand.

"I'm going to go to bed. We have lots of time now to restock for The Fair in September, but we will need lots of stuff. We are basically there every day, and it gets really busy." She said, and he nodded. She leaned her head back and he closed his eyes to not stare at her, his lips going dry and he let out a cleansing breath.

"I assume we will be starting tomorrow?" He asked and she nodded.

"Yeah, we will focus on soap for a week and then work on another product after that. We need more oils too, thank God I did not rent us a space for Fourth of July." She said, rubbing her eyes. "It is in Tacoma, and it is a madhouse down there. I think more stuff got stolen than I sold last year."

"That is most unfortunate, I would be able to help prevent such a thing." He said and she smiled at him. She stood up, stretching and he watched her head toward the stairs.

"I know you would. I have to run an errand in Seattle tomorrow, do you think you could do a harvest on some more plants and start the oils?" She asked him and he nodded. He pressed his lips together, watching her walk up them. "Don't worry, I will be back before noon. It is just a routine thing I have to do."

"I will trust you on that then." He replied and she walked up the stairs. He sat alone on the couch, his mind turning over more of what he was experiencing and he did his best to keep his sentiments from overshadowing his reason. She was Mortal, but so was he. Perhaps he could just allow nature to work as it would, aging him and taking him away as an old man after fifty or so years. Of course, Elizabeth would age with him, and he would not be alone.

He just could not see himself living a Mortal life however, and it stopped him from requesting an audience from Odin to allow the Old Man to keep his powers.

If only he was not so confused about himself, he could possibly grow closer to Elizabeth.


	19. Paper Cranes

Chapter 19.

Liz sat in Doctor Singh's office again, tapping her foot against the industrial tile floor and she waited for the results of the Contrast MRI, her stomach was in knots and she could barely think as she stared out the windows. Something was wrong, and she was only getting worse. A soft knock announcing him, and he opened the door slowly. He pushed his glasses up his nose, sighing and he gave her a smile that screamed he was pitying her. She knew then that it was bad news, and her heart sank into her stomach.

"I am sorry Ms. Baker, but it seems that the mass is growing and we did not expect it." He said and opened the scans on the computer, he pointed to two different scans and she did not want to see this. "Last time I saw you, it was the size of a marble. But now, it seems to have increased to the size of a quarter. With this growth, you can expect that your headaches will only increase, and you will start to see a loss of motor skills, vision, and seizure activity. The loss of motor skills will show mainly in your hands, but eventually, you will not be able to walk."

"Is there any way to slow it down, you told me five years. You said that I have five years left, now how long do I have?" She asked, blinking back tears and he shook his head. He looked at her, offering her a hand and she sobbed. This was not what she wanted, she wanted those five damn years back, and she wanted her life to mean something. She wanted Loki to be able to take care of himself, and to enjoy the time they had as friends. Now, it was all going to be a lost cause, because Nature was a Bitch.

"We could try a new drug that just hit the market. It has been shown to eradicate cancer cells in most cases, and it may work for you. I do want you back in a month so that we can see if it has helped any, perhaps it is the miracle you need in this case. There are side effects, but they tend to pass." He said, scratching out a new prescription on his pad.

"Or just some Paper Cranes.*" She replied, looking at the confused doctor and he blinked at her through his glasses.

"I am afraid I do not understand." He replied, and she laughed. She sat in the chair, shifting her feet and wiped her face.

"When I was a kid, my class read a book about a Japanese girl who got cancer. She believed, that if she folded a thousand Origami Cranes, she could have a wish and she could cure her cancer."* Liz replied, thinking about how crazy she sounded. Doctor Singh probably was writing her a prescription for the Looney Bin as she spoke, and she would not be surprised. She probably could make it sound even nuttier if she confessed that she was feeding and clothing a God, who was in her barn right then, making Lavender oils. Instead, he gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Did she get her wish?" He asked, and she shook her head. His face falling and he knew the ending, the loss of hope on her showing in true colors.

"No." She replied, looking at her hands. "She died, but kids fold cranes for her every year to remember her and the other dying kids."

"I think this may be your Origami, don't loose hope Ms. Baker." He said, handing her the prescriptions and an appointment reminder. She took the pages from him, nodding and she felt numb all the way through her body. She knew that her right hand had started to shake, and that the headaches were getting worse. She just wanted more time, then Loki would be ready to take over the farm and take care of himself.

"See you in a month then." She said, nodding to herself and sighing. She got up, walking out the door and made her way to the elevator. Every step on her mind, because she was terrified of loosing so much more than just her life now.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Loki heard the Jeep crawl up the driveway, and he glanced up from his work as he added more flowers to make more oils. He poured in the tablespoon of distilled water, closing the small door and he saw Liz get out of the vehicle with a brown paper bag in her hand. He wiped his hands on a towel, watching her and she climbed the steps to the house and closed the door after her. His curiosity got the better of him, and he walked to the house and followed her in.

"Elizabeth?" He asked, hearing her struggling with something in the kitchen. She cursed, obviously dropping something and he walked into the room. She jumped, putting herself between something on the table and him.

"Shit!" She exclaimed, relaxing a bit and she sighed. "Stop walking like a cat, you almost scared the piss out of me."

"I was wondering why you were so upset, you looked as if you had gotten bad news." He said, and walked toward her. He saw an orange bottle on the ground, picking it up and handing it to her. She took it, and put it in her pocket as if it were a dirty secret.

"I... I just hate traffic, and I was stuck in it. I'm cool." She said and he frowned at her. "How much did you get done?"

"Quite a bit, you have been crying." He said, stating a fact and he saw more bottles on the table behind her. She sighed, picking up a paper and he read it. His eyes scanning the page as she sat in a chair, burying her face in her hands.

"I'm dying Loki. A month ago, I was diagnosed with a small brain tumor. It was not even the size of a blueberry, and now it is growing. The limping when I am tired, the shaking in my hands, the painful headaches, it is all part of it." She said, his eyes blinking back tears. "I was going to tell you later on, but it seems not that I only have..."

"A year left." He said, sitting next to her. She picked up a bottle, shaking it and she sighed. He looked at her face, the depression that took over her and she let out a shaking sigh.

"All these goddamn pills, amd not one miracle. In your religion, if you have one, do Cancer Patients go to heaven?" She asked and he nodded, swallowing hard and he cursed any of the Norns that were listening. This was not fair for her, she did not deserve to die the way she was and he wanted to crush that thing in her brain.

"You shall, Valhalla will greet you..." He started, and he shook his head. His mind forming a plan and he blinked, he knew a way to save her. A way to not only purge the illness from her body, but to also give her an immortal life. He could atone to her, give her a gift while apologising for her family.

"Loki?" She asked him, looking at him in shock at his silence and he grinned at her. He stood up, grabbing her hand and he pointed at Mt. Rainier in the distance out the back door.

"That mountain, it has a portal between realms! I can take you to Asgard, get an apple from Idunn and save your life!" He said, her head shaking in shock.

"You mean, you could have left at any time and you did not do it? What the hell?" She shouted, pulling her hand away from his and he rolled his eyes.

"I do not have my powers back and going there as I am would not be wise, but I am willing now to risk further punishment or even execution to save your life. The Convergence is weakening the barriers between the realms, and that one will be at its weakest in two days. From there, it is a two or three day journey to The Castle and to get the apple." He said, grabbing her shoulders and her eyes went wide. "Elizabeth, that apple is your salvation. I have not asked for one in nine hundred years, I am owed one for this hundred year span."

"My Paper Cranes." She whispered, wrapping her arms around him suddenly and she buried her face in his neck. "You would do all this for me? But... Loki, I'm nothing compared to you and your people, I'm just another dying woman."

"No." He said, pushing her back and he held her face between his hands. "You... you are so much more."

"Loki." She said, tears in her eyes and she kissed him, his eyes going wide and he stiffened. She wrapped her arms around him and he returned the embrace, his hand on the back of her head and she shivered. He held her tighter to him, her fragile body in his care and she sighed as she backed away slowly.

"I will live as long as you?" She asked and he nodded, rolling his eyes at how his body reacted to her kiss. She blushed, hiding her face and he groaned.

"It has been six hundred years since anyone has done that! You are an attractive woman!" He said and she blushed, groaning to herself and she sighed.

"Sorry. I sort of got carried away, like I did not know how to thank you the right way." She said, looking at his pants. "I better behave, or you may give up on your cellibacy. Should we form a plan or something? And damn, you are a good kisser, when you relax."

"We should. I will need supplies, and a way to find shelter when we get there. Do you still have my clothes and armor from when I arrived?" He asked her, she nodding and he could not take his eyes off of her. She pointed out the window to the barn, her cheeks blushing and she took off the sweater she wore over her cotton sun dress.

"Yeah, I cleaned it all off and folded it in a red cooler. It is under some stuff of my Dad's, I thought hiding it would be the best idea, given how you are a fugitive and all." She said, and he walked over to her. She could smell the lavender he worked with on his skin, her heart pounding as he looked down at her. She blushed, and she felt his fingers slide between hers and he put his forehead against hers.

"You will live a life span comparable to mine, and you will be in all essence a Goddess." He said, and she blinked as she stared at his neck. She watched his adams apple bob up and down as he spoke, her heart pounding.

"This is my only chance, Thank you." She said, her voice shaking. She wanted to deny that she had developed feelings toward Loki, but tried so hard to spare his feelings when she died. She tried to protect herself for when he left, but could not deny it anymore. She felt his lips on hers, and she reciprocated the kiss. Her heart pounding in her chest and she never felt so alive, his body so close to hers. He was so different form Michael, she did not feel pressured to give in to him. She felt free to say no, but everything in her did not want to.

"I am doing it, so that I can thank you, you have done nothing but be kind to me." He said as he pulled away, and she nodded. He held her hands tighter, and he moved slowly and kissed her again. She felt weak in the knees, her need rising and she whimpered into his mouth. He pulled away, looking at her in concern and she shook her head and she started back at him again.

"We really should from a plan, this Convergence thing is coming up soon, and we only have two days." She said, stopping him and frowning. "Does this make you my boyfriend?"

"I imagine it does, if you accept me as it." He replied, she nodding and grinning.

"Yeah, but that whole being celibate puts a damper on future kids and marriage." She replied, he laughing into her neck as he leaned over her. She hugged him, rubbing his back and turned red. "It is not a deal breaker, it just makes things a bit more interesting. I do really like you a lot, and you are sort of cute."

He lifted her up, carrying her toward the stairs and she yelped. She looked at him, her eyes wide and he grinned back at her. She blushed, blinking at him and he took the stairs one at a time.

"Wait! What are you doing?" She asked, he kicking her door open with the heel of his shoe and she wiggled to get out of his arms. He put her on her bed, leaning over and putting his hands on either side of her shoulders as he kissed her again, her hands against his chest.

"I am ending my vows." He said and she shook her head. Her eyes going wide, and he pressing against her. She whimpered around his mouth, pushing on his chest and protesting.

"Wait... Um... Loki, I don't know how things are done where you are from, but I am not really ready for this." She said, he leaned back. "What if we mess up and I get pregnant or something? I could die before it is born. And... and I don't want you to suffer or be depressed... well, because you tried, but it did not work out."

"You wish to wait. And I believe you need to have more faith in my ability to get a simple apple and bring it back to you." He sighed, rolling his eyes. He laid down on the bed next to her, resting his hands on his chest and he sighed. "I will get that apple, and I will not loose you Elizabeth."

"I do have faith in you, and I am going with you." She said, and he frowned at the idea. He stared at her, the look on her face silencing him. "I am so not letting the chance to see a far away planet go missed, this is an adventure I will not let pass me by. And you are going to need someone in your corner if you get caught, I can tell anyone who will listen why you are there."

"I will take you then, I just need to alter my plans slightly. It will be too risky for you to follow me through the Castle when I go to Idunn." He said, forming a contingency and grinning to himself. She sat up, nodding and crying into her hands. Her shoulders shaking as she let her fears come out in that moment. He sat up, holding her and stroking her hair.

"I have a chance Loki, and I get to stay with you." She said, his arms around her as she cried, and he felt tears blur his vision.

"And I can stay here with you." He said, tightening his grip on her and never wanting to let her go. She smiled at him, her eyes filled with tears and he kissed her softly.

"You would give up the whole Royalty thing for me?" She said, shock crossing her face and he shrugged.

"After a fashion, I believe I am bored with the notion. I actually, have come to like it here, working with you and the plants." He replied and she stared at him in shock. She sat up slightly, kissing him and he grinned around her mouth. His eyes filled with mirth, and he held up a finger. "I do ask that we watch plenty of those videos, I find YouTube amusing."

"Deal, but only if you cuddle with me after Walking Dead." She replied and he huffed at the idea. She laughed, turning and putting her back to his chest and he wrapped his arms around her, acting as her comfort against any fears she would have. He looked at her face, mildly amused and shook his head.

"I believe I can overlook the violence and disregard for life." He replied, she pointing a finger at him to say something but he moved her hand away. "Rest now, you have had a troubling day and have need of it."

"Okay, but be here when I wake up?" She asked him, her eyes growing wide and he leaned over to kiss her forehead. He lingered a moment, taking a breath in to smile her hair and smiled to himself.

"I promise you, I will be here." He said, her eyes closing and she smiling at him at his words.

_*Reference to a Childrens Book called "Sadako and a Thousand Paper Cranes._


	20. Plans

Chapter 20.

"I found some freeze dried food in the Camping stuff from last year. That should last us the two day walk there and back. I have some protein bars, and some bottled water, and a sleeping bag. I also found some battery powered lanterns, and a backpack." Liz said, standing over Loki. He rubbed the sleep from his face, sighing as he blinked at her. She somehow woke up earlier than him, and he was still wanting sleep.

"Did you sleep at all last night? You risk an episode by not resting Elizabeth." He replied, she frowning and crossing her arms. He sat up on her bed, stretching and letting his back pop as he relaxed. "We also need enough supplies in case you need to take a few hours for your head pains."

"I found enough, don't be a jerk. The really hard part is going to be getting in and out without this door guy at the whatever frost finding out that we are there." She groaned, her eyes heavy and he grinned at Elizabeth. She sat on the bed, leaning back against the pillows while yawning and she blinked at him. She tried the new pills that morning, but could not keep them down and she ended up getting sick. Loki saw her exhaustion and blinked at her a moment, his face drawn.

"You should still rest, leave the sneaking about Asgard to me. It is called the Bifrost, and he is the Watcher." He replied and she shook her head. She lay on her side, staring out the windows and did her best to ignore her churning stomach.

"I would, but I feel like crap today. Those new pills are making me throw up, and I get dizzy when I close my eyes." She sighed, her eyes closing and she doing her best to not be sick again. She felt his hand on her shoulder, a gentle massage relaxing her as she began to drift.

"You will be cured soon, and will have no need for these medicines your people sell the ill." He said, moving her to lay on her stomach. He worked his fingers down her spine, making her mumble incoherently and he laughed.

"You have magic fingers." She groaned into her blankets, curling her arms around her head and she sighed. He kept working, finding a tight spot and worked it out and she groaned. Soon, she had fallen into a comfortable sleep and he sat and watched her. He touched her head, wondering how something small could cause her such suffering and he worried that she would not make the trek through Asgard. Her limp was becoming more pronounced, and her hands trembled worse when she was tired. She lay still now however, her breathing regular and he hoped he could get the apple quickly. He could not find a woman like her after so long, to only have her wither and die, he had to fight to keep her alive.

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They spent the next day and a half planning their journey, and Liz kept getting sicker. She took the tablets as ordered, but they continued to make her body spasm with stomach upset. Loki had to stand over her one time, holding her hair while the contents of her stomach emptied into the toilet and he rubbed her back. She coughed, her head aching from dehydration and he wondered if she would survive the hike across the uneven terrain. He sat on the cold tile next to her, her eyes filled with tears and she blinked at him and groaned.

"That time was not so bad, maybe I am getting better at this. Or building a tolerance to the pills, fucking Stark Pharmaceuticals." She laughed, trying to drink some water and she rested her head on her knees. "I am going to stop taking the new meds, they will only slow us down."

"I believe that would be a good idea, I am worried that you will be strong enough to make your way over the terrain that the forest land will present us with." He said, moving to sit next to her. He put his arm around her, she leaning close and she laughed a bit. Her mind finding something humourous, she laughed again and he looked at her.

"Loki, the God of Michief, and his girlfriend, Elizabeth, the Goddess of Vomiting. What a team we make." She said and he laughed at her, she wincing as her stomach threatened to empty itself again. She held the hand on her shoulder, drinking water and breathing to settle her churning bowels.

"I would not want to be a part of any other team, I find the humor intelligent. Just relax yourself, the more you tense, the more ill you become." He said, squeezing her hand. "We will get that apple, and you will be cured. We will come back here, perhaps have a child, and then live out eternity together."

"If we don't, if something goes wrong, promise me that you will still not turn into a huge jerk again." She asked him, tears in her eyes. He looked at her, wiping them away and he pressed his lips together. She blinked back tears, his heart breaking at her words and he nodded.

"I promise, but we will make sure that nothing goes against us. We will do this, and you will live." He said, holding onto Elizabeth as if she was going to blow away on a breeze. "We will leave tomorrow, and we will find the secret way into Asgard. It is a trek, but we will walk it and Idunn will give me the apple. I may hide you in the Castle, in my old chambers while I fetch it, but you will be more than safe there. And comfortable, while you wait for me to return."

"You just wanted a girl in your bedroom, just like every other guy in the universe." She teased and he laughed, leaning his head back. He gave her a crooked grin, laughing a bit and he turned her face toward him.

"Well... if you are there, all alone and worn from the journey, finding you in my bed would be a pleasant suprise." He said, she laughing back at him. She leaned close to him, grinning at the thought and laughed harder.

"Should I be naked?" She howled obviously teasing him, leaning her head back to laugh and he sighed to himself. He kissed her cheek, pulling her in by the neck and she squealed. He teeth gritting as she accidentally elbowed him in the ribs, but he still laughing.

"Now that would truly be quite the treat. You, wearing not a stitch on your beautiful body, waiting between the silk of my sheets, and me feeding you the apple. Afterwards, we could linger a bit, if only to consummate our relationship. I believe it would be most amusing for the Maids to find the sheets, and evidence of our presence after we leave." He said and she laughed, imagining how everyone would be in a panic after realizing Loki had come back and fled without being seen. She grinned up at him, her eyes shining and he laughed at the wicked glint in her expression.

"Don't make me laugh any more, I don't think my stomach could take it. We should finish packing what we need, especially if we are leaving super early in the morning tomorrow." She said, getting up and pulling him by the hand to his feet. He followed her, walking down the stairs to pack their freeze dried meals and the supplies that Liz found in the barn. He smiled at the back of her head, imagining this being home for the rest of their lives.

He found himself liking to prospect.

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That night, they made the bed in his room with clean sheets and put away the laundry. They then made the bed in her room, almost as if they were leaving the house in a tidy state to stand as a monument to how someone once lived there. The owner vanishing, and leaving no trace of herself. She carefully smoothed a tablecloth over the kitchen table, and they dined on a meal of hearty stew and roasted potatoes. She opened a bottle of wine that she found in the refrigerator, both of them enjoying the fruity taste of it and laughing over old memories they shared.

They laughed, Liz stopping when the nostalgia became a bit painful and she blinked back tears. Loki felt guilt for the loss of her family, but she never said anything to show that she was angry. Instead, she laughed again and rested her hand over his. He, sharing a story about he and Thor getting lost in the woods and his brother falling in a river on accident. The memories flowed, and their lives promised them new ones to replace the sad.

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They lay on top of her blankets that night, his arm around her waist as they both lay awake. They stared out the windows, her sigh resounding and he glanced down at her. She shifted restlessly, trying to relax her mind but could not.

"I can't sleep." She groaned, hiding her face. "This is like the night before Christmas to a kid."

"You will have to tell me what Christmas is, I do not understand that analogy." He replied, and she laughed a bit.

"It is in the winter, in December. You bring a tree into the house. An Evergreen or a Pine, and decorate it with balls and lights. Then on the morning of the celebration, you open presents. It is a ton of fun to see what suprises you give eachother, and even more fun to see if the other person likes the gifts you got them." She said, he smiling a bit at the celebration.

"I believe my people call it Yule, it is similar, but no decorated tree. We trade gifts however, Frigga gave me the coat I wear one year, and Thor gifted me some silk that I had made into the draperies that surround my bed." He replied, looking out the windows. "What gift did you enjoy the best?"

"My mom gave me a diamond necklace one year. I took really good care of it, and kept it in the little velvet box in my drawer. I was friends with this girl in High School, and she found out where I kept it. She stole it." She sighed, patting his hand. "I confronted her about it, but she claimed that it was not her. A week later, she wore it to a dance with her new dress and I was pissed off. I slapped her, called her a liar and a thief in front of the whole school. She gave it back then, but I did not trust her after that. We stopped being friends, and she later, as adults, stole my last boyfriend."

"Sara stole your necklace? Is that little drama the reason she dislikes you so?" He asked, she laughing and nodding at him.

"Yup." She shot out, putting emphasis on the p. "I think I am the real winner now, I got a sexy God as my new guy. She got a looser with no redeeming qualities."

"I have never been called that before." He replied, chuckling and grinning to himself.

"It is a compliment, enjoy it." She said, hiding a yawn. "Michael would never have held my hair back I threw up, you definitely are doing better than her ever did."

"I assume that I am far better than he is then, I did not try to force myself on you." He replied, feeling a bit smug at her words. He yawned, looking at his clothes from when he arrived and it felt like years since he had worn them. Nothing about them felt right, and he wanted to leave them for his more comfortable Midgardian attire. He knew that he had to be ready for any eventuality however, and he would wear them to blend into the population.

"We should sleep." Liz said, he smiling at her and he held her closer to him. He made a sound to indicate his agreement and grinned a moment while she buried her face into the quilt and pillows. He watched her for a long time, not knowing exactly when he fell asleep but only knowing that his eyes had grown heavy.


	21. Journey's Beginning

Chapter 21.

Liz drove the paved road up the Dormant Volcano, going as slow as she dared to not block traffic while Loki concentrated on the energy to find the secret way between realms. The Jeep protested a bit, and she was starting to worry about backing up cars, an eager hiker behind her leaning on his horn and Loki sighed to himself. She pulled to the side of the highway, letting the cars pass them and continued on, Loki returning to his meditations.

"There! To the left, park this vehicle there and we will walk that road." He said, pointing to a turnoff with wide enough of a path for two people to walk along. She brought the Jeep to a shuddering halt, the car happy to be turned off and resting after such a long drive. She smiled at him, her excitement showing and she pulled the map out that the Ranger at the station gave her when she bought the pass to get into the National Park that surrounded Mt. Rainier.

"Great. I am getting a bit sore from all the sitting, how far do you think it is in?" She asked and he closed his eyes again to see what he sensed. He felt the low him of the energy along his skin, the waves of it calling him and he pointed into the woods to the right of them.

"Not far, perhaps a short hike to the cave and then through." He replied and she nodded patiently. She looked pale again, as if she were going to be sick and he deliberated if bringing her was the right thing to do. She vomited terribly again that morning, and her limp was showing again. They needed to go though, and he feared that wasting time arguing would let their chance to get into Asgard and get an apple slip by.

"Good. Let me get my pack and we can start." She said, getting out of the vehicle and walking to the back of it. Loki slid out of his seat, joining her and she locked the door with the key fob as she adjusted the load on her back. She grinned at him, waiting and she slipped her thumbs into the shoulder straps.

"Stay close to me, and do be careful which plants you touch when we arrive in Asgard. Many beautiful flowers are hiding a deadly poison there, and I don't want you harmed on accident." He said and she nodded, taking what he said seriously. She let out a nervous breath, calming herself as she squared her shoulders.

"I will ask if they are safe before I go near them, promise." She said and he gestured for her to follow him. They followed a path, he stopping and closing his eyes to guide her every few feet and he took her hand and led her into the trees. Her coat got snagged on a bush, and her jeans felt too heavy after a while. The pack digging into her shoulders, and her legs burning from keeping up with Loki. She huffed, her breath coming out in pants and he stopped.

"Do you need to rest?" He asked her, cursing himself for forgetting that she was not as physically able as him. He watched her, turning her around and digging in the pack for some water and he twisted the cap off a gallon sized bottle of it. He gave it to her, helping her to sit down on a stone and he watched her as she drank from the bottle.

"I'm better, your legs are longer than mine." She said and he grinned, he stood up and felt for the portal. His eyes closing and he found the direction it was in again.

"Yes, I will stop if you need to rest however." He said and he felt a low hum on the air. "We are getting very close, a few steps more and we will be upon the cave."

"Great. Then I get to see your planet, this is sort of exciting and scary at the same time." She said, he smiling back at her in amusement.

"I am a rather good guide, you have little to worry about." He replied, sitting next to her on the boulder and looking up at the sky.

"I trust you, I can't wait to see where you lived though." She laughed, leaning against him. "What exactly is this Convergence?"

"An alignment of the Nine Realms, they will be perfectly in conjunction with one another for a while and portals between them will be weaker and it will be easier to pass into all of them for a time." He answered, looking at Liz. He prayed that she did not have an episode while in Asgard, they only had so much time to sneak in and out before their exits closed again. He did not relish the idea of saving her life, only to have her watch him be executed. He shook off the idea quickly, she looking at him in wonder about thos event.

"Is it dangerous? Like does it cause earthquakes, or volcanoes to randomly erupt?" She asked him and he laughed, shaking his head.

"No. It mostly goes unnoticed by any of the Realms, Asgard does watch it closely however. We do our duty to ensure that a hapless person or creature does not accidentally stumble into our Realm, and if they do we cast a sleep spell over them and return them to their home unharmed with no memory of the mishap." He said, taking the offered water from her and she nodded at his words. In a way, it was the kinder solution to a simple accident. Loki believing that any person executed for being in the wrong place, was just an act that was cruel.

"That sounds nice actually. No one gets hurt, and they get to go on with their lives." She said, following him as he walked into the foliage. He moved slower, not wanting to strain her more fragile body and she stopped and looked at him. "Does going through this portal hurt?"

"No, it can be disorienting if you have never done it before. I will hold your hand as we cross through it, so that you don't fall." He replied and they soon came to a waterfall over a pool of water. Loki took her hand, and he guided her along to walk behind the cascade of water. The mist created rainbows, and a soft haze filled the paradise in front of them. She took out her phone, snapping pictures of him standing in front of the water, and she shrugged at him.

"It is a cool picture, you look like a traveler from another time." She said and he chuckled at her observation. He held his hand out and she took it, walking behind the water and edging along the slick rocks. They found the crack in the rocks that formed a cave, and they squeezed into it and Liz felt claustrophobic suddenly. Her fingers gripped his hand, and her other hand held onto his jacket. He looked back at her, her fingers slipping from his hand and she wrapped both of her hands around his upper arm.

"Now you are the traveler, a Pioneer of your people as you step from this world into Asgard." He said, his eyes adjusting to the dark and he helped her to remain calm by moving slowly. She held onto him, a shining light ahead of them filling the cavern, and she blinked her eyes to make sure it was not a trick of her brain. Flashes of light became brighter, and she felt a sickening tug in her stomach that grew into a pressure and she moaned and closed her eyes. She felt as if she were falling and she held his arm tighter, tumbling through some flash of lights and she felt a bit sick. She felt ground under her feet suddenly, and she fell forward to find herself held up by a set of arms. She blinked, clearing the disorientation away and looked around her in amazement. Trees taller than the seventy story Columbia Tower in Seattle were over her head and a bird of red and orange glided on the breeze above her.

"Asgard." She whispered, a bush of what she thought were large, electric blue flowers erupting into a swarm of butterflies around her and she blinked as they fluttered away. She stared up at everything, and felt a hand tighten on her before she touched an orange flower.

"That one is dangerous, I wouldn't. You will convulse until your spine shatters as you die." He said and she backed away from it. She looked at him, and he offered her a silvery gray flower to smell. She put her nose close to the petals and inhaled to find it smelled like him. She blinked, he bringing the flower to his nose and he winked at her. "Lover's Kiss, it smells like the person you desire most in the universe. To me, I smell lavender, and the fresh scent of your clothes after you emerge from the shower."

"I smelled you." She said and she blushed at what he said. His hand tightened on hers and he pointed off into the woods.

"There is a road that way, we can follow it from the forest all the way to the Castle." He said and she nodded, letting him lead her through the brush and she stared at everything around her in awe. He smiled at her, her eyes wide open and taking in every last detail of her surroundings.

"This place is amazing, I cant believe that am really here." She gasped, a basketball sized frog hopping across their path and grunting at them. She watched it, Loki grinning at how curious she was and he watched her follow it into the brush by their path. She peered through the leaves, staring at it and she used her phone to take a photo of the creature.

"You will see many more wonders, I promise you that." He said, helping her to stand and they walked on, their feet sure and their journey beginning.

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The Bifrost opened, Heimdall leaning to the side as the bumper of a Midgardian transport flew past him. He watched, reporting that Thor had brought the Midgardian Jane Foster into the realm, his amber eyes closing for a moment and he saw Loki and his Mortal, Elizabeth Baker sneak into the Realm. He wrestled with conscience and duty for a moment, remembering the promise of the Dark Prince and he returned his attention to the dark haired woman in front of him.

"Welcome to Asgard, Lady Foster." He said, the woman staring wide eyed at the dome above her. She looked back at him, clutching to Thor and she nodded in silence.

"Uhhh... thanks. Mr..." She started, but her knees gave out and Thor caught her.

"Thank you Heimdall." Thor said, and he nodded. The man and woman flew toward the Castle, the woman screaming in shock as they lifted off the ground and were propelled by Thor's hammer toward it. He closed his eyes again, watching Loki and the Mortal he brought. They walked along, and she was laughing as the fungi of the forest began to glow with phosperescence as the sun set. Loki leaned against a tree, watching her laugh and throw her hands out as Fire Sprites floated around her with their glowing bodies and Heimdall saw something on Loki he had never truly seen before.

Love.

Where Thor felt attraction to Jane Foster, and only thought with his gentals toward the woman, Loki felt with his heart toward Elizabeth Baker. He saw him worry when she fell into the dirt with dizziness, and he walked over to support her. She assured him that she was well, and she kissed him softly as they both laughed together.

For the first time in over three thousand years, Heimdall broke his oath. He did not warn his King that Loki had come into Asgard and brought a woman with him. Instead, he watched to see how it would play out.

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Liz brought the water in the pot to a boil over the fire he had made, his eyes watching as she tore the plastic package open and began adding the dried contents to it. She then put a pan of more dried ingredients near the flames and he watched them harden into bread. He was facinated by what was happening, and he watched her stir everything carefully.

"I am going to skip my medicine tonight. It just makes me throw up, and we need me healthy as we walk to make it there and back." She said, Loki nodding and feeling relief at what she said. "I am going to want a long bath after we get back home though. I am so going to stink by the time we get back."

"I can arrange a bath here. It also gives me a chance to get the apple while you hide in my Chambers." He said, and she laughed at him. She threw her head back as the ingredients became a hearty stew and she giggled.

"You just want a naked girl in your room." She teased and he laughed at her, winking back at her.

"Well, that could be something rather pleasant to return to. Jotun, Asgardian, even Mortal, all men do have the same base desires." He said and she squeaked in suprise at what he said. Her mouth fell open in shock, and she blushed.

"You are the first man to admit that, it is... strangely refreshing." She replied and he chuckled as she made two paper plates of food for them. He took his, tasting the bread and frowned at it.

"There are no men like me." He said and she nodded, frowning at her own bread and sighing as she mixed it into the food.

"I know, and I like that. You are unique, and it is super cool in a way." She replied and she ate her share of the meal. She stared up at the sky, her eyes counting the stars and she shivered as a cold breeze whispered through the trees.

"Thank you." He replied and he took a drink from the bottle. She gave him more of the food, and he cringed at the bread again.

"I know, the cornbread is terrible. The cookie is way better, I am sort of saving it for a mini celebration when we return." She said and he nodded, eating the bread and finishing his plate. He threw the paper into the fire, and she added hers afterwards. Picking up the pots to take them to the river nearby to wash them off, he sat next to her amd washed the pan. His eyes on her and she glanced at him and grinned, his eyes on her and he sighed.

"I will do everything I can to keep you safe Elizabeth, I promise you that." He said, drying his hands and the woods around them turned dark as night fell.

"I know. And... I may still be a bit of a pessimist, but a forgiving one. Even if this goes all wrong, I still want you to stay happy." She said, amd he blinked back tears. She was so unselfish, only wanting the best for others and he watched her walk back to their fire and unroll a cocoon of sorts from the top of her pack. He looked down at it, lifting one end and ahe unzipped the side in laughed. "It is a sleeping bag silly. It will keep us warm and comfortable while we sleep."

"We both lay in here?" He asked and shook his head. He pointed at it, gesturing for her to take it and he pulled the camping knife she had out of the pack.

"Why not? No sense in both of us freezing tonight." She argued and he clipped the sheath onto his hip, under his coat.

"Things wander the forests here at night. Many of them very dangerous, I will sleep against that tree." He said, sensing and argument as she untied her shoes. "I need to react fast to fight off anything that may come this way. You sleep in it and stay warm, cold does not bother me much."

"Okay, but promise to wake me up so that I can help you. We are a team, and we need to work together." She shot back, and he added more wood to the fire.

"I shall, and we will reach the Castle tomorrow by noon. We made better time than I previously thought." He replied and he concentrated, changing his appearance to a blonde servant. She sat up, blinking at him and she stared in shock.

"How did you do that?" She asked him, her eyes wide. "Can you make yourself look like Jason Momoa?"

"I am not going to indulge your fantasies, and I regained some more of my magic for defending you from that Rogue." He groaned and she blushed, her eyes rolling and he shifted again. His clothing appeared like the man she giggled over in a frightening film they watched together. She blinked, her mouth falling open and she giggled as he moved close to her.

"I thought you were not going to indulge..." She started, his lips suddenly on hers and she returned the kiss. He could feel her pulse increase and he sat back and grinned at her. He shifted back, still grinning and he laughed a bit at her expression.

"Maybe one or two." He said and she blushed bright red, hiding her face. "Go so sleep now, we will be walking on at dawn"

"Okay, like I could sleep. I am going to see where you lived, grew up. This is exciting, and I am really going to want to see everything." She replied, zipping up the bag and laying on her side. He liked the innovation of the warm cocoon, thinking it would be an asset for soldiers going into war. It provided her protection from the elements, and kept her off the forest floor at the same time.

"Goodnight Liz, I will wake you." He replied and he saw her hide a yawn under her covers.

"Goodnight." She said, her voice soft in the firelight.

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Frigga left Jane, the woman having irritated her enough and thought of the other woman she saw come into Asgard. Two of her personal Maids walking toward her with a dress made of rose colored silk with matching shoes, her eyes approving of it and the gold cuffs she had commissioned. The woman it was meant for would be arriving tomorrow, and she wanted to ensure that she was well cared for. The polite and mannerly girl that had not only won over Loki, but her as well.

"This is perfect, she will look beautiful in this." She said, Marne smiling and walking with her.

"That Lady Foster was rather rude to you, not even a curtsy My Queen. The way you described this other girl, I like her already and will do everything I can to hide her in plain sight." She said, Frigga laughing with the women. She smiled, nodding and she took the other women's hand in hers.

"Good. She will be unwell for a time as well, but I have seen her brought back to health." Frigga replied, the woman smiling back at her oldest friend and she nodded.

"Did you truly forsee her as the one Loki walks the path with?" The woman asked and Frigga gave her a broad smile in response, the expression alone that of a proud mother.

"Only time will tell Dear, the Norns weave as they will." She replied, walking through her chamber doors and readying herself for her own bed. "Ensure a comfortable bed is made for her, we do not want her suffering any more than she must."

"I do hope she has a voice this time My Lady, the poor woman will be able to speak with you then." The Maid replied, both women hearing shouts from down the hall from Jane Foster.

"I can't believe this! I am protected under the laws of..." She shouted, and Frigga sighed as Thor ran around a corner to see what the matter was.

"She does stand up for herself quite well, I will give her that." Frigga replied, shutting the doors and both women laughed.


	22. The Castle

Chapter 22.

Loki and Liz sat in the woods as they finished off their breakfast bars and water, both of them laughing as they spoke. She grinned as she poured water from the river over the remains of the bonfire, making sure it was out completely and she rolled her sleeping bag.

"So it is not too far?" She asked, pulling her boots on but leaving them unlaced and he nodded silently.

"Yes, only half a day's journey today. I have to admit that I am a bit anxious to show you the City and Castle." He said and she grinned, failing to hide her own excitement. She hid the pack in a hollowed out tree, taking the dress she made from the Renissance Faire and ducking behind a bush. He could only see the top of her head as she changed, and leaned against the tree as she tossed her shirt over the branches.

"I am glad it is close, my feet ache from yesterday. She said and she threw her pants over the branch to put on the dress. "I am a little excited too. Do you think we will see your Mom?"

"I should hope not, she may not be very pleased that I broke the terms of my banishment for this. I want to get the apple and leave as quickly as we can, we have spent far too much time here already and I do not know if my arrival with you has gone unnoticed." He said, she stepping around the bush and bundling up her clothes to hide with the pack. She tucked everything into her boots, stepping up on her toes to put everything in the hollow.

"Fine, but you should really talk to her. Maybe she wants to apologize for everything, she only wanted to see if you were safe when she showed up that day. She is really nice too, give her a chance." Liz said, he crossing his arms and staring back at her.

"She lied to me! What am I supposed to do now that her deceit has been revealed?" He snapped, changing his appearance into that of a Merchant with red hair and a gray tunic over brown leather pants. Liz sighed, throwing her hands out in frustration and groaned.

"You are totally bull headed! You know that? She raised you, taught you all of her magic, and you treated her like a stranger. Being a parent is more than blood, it is everything she did for you and more." She argued, he turning and walking toward the road. He marked the spot she hid her belongings with some simple magic and he walked on. Liz stood in the forest, rolling her eyes and she ran after him to catch up.

"Will you slow down?" She asked and he turned back, waving a finger at her in warning.

"I have nothing to say to her, so forcing the matter will not give you any ground on it. Remember that, next time you wish to lecture me as to what I should do." He said, her eyes wide and she stopped a moment and she sighed. He could tell the discussion was not completely over, but she did not want to press his boundaries trying to make him see her way.

"Fine." She replied, walking the road ahead of him. He ran to catch up to her then, and walked to her side as they made their way to the City. They stepped to the side of the road as a cart passed, the driver bringing his goods to sell there and they watched him stop. He removed his hat, smiling at Liz and he nodded.

"Going to the City?" He asked, and Loki stepped toward the man and nodded.

"We are, might we ride in the back of your cart the rest of the way? My wife is quite tired from the walk." Loki said, the man grinning and nodding at them.

"I believe you may, help her in friend." The man replied and they climbed into the cart, Loki having to give her a boost as she took a seat among the baskets of fruits and vegetables. She looked at the berries in one basket, her eyes going wide open at the green fruit and she looked at the abundance of parsnips the man had.

"You have a good haul, your land must be quite fertile." Loki said, the man grinning and he glanced back toward them.

"I have been very blessed this season, I think it is because that Bastard Prince was exiled. Many say it was he who brought bad luck to the crops of many." The man replied, Liz going silent at his statement and she put her hand over his. Loki glared at the man, and turned his head back to her.

"I suppose it is best he remain on Midgard then." Loki said, and the man snorted back at them.

"I believe you are right, friend. But, I have a feeling the Queen will find a way to get him back into good graces with the Realm." He groaned, his eyes on the road ahead and they soon approached the edge of the City. Liz stood up in the back of the cart, her eyes wide at the shining castle and Loki saw her mouth drop open. He put his hands on her waist to prevent her from falling and she gasped at the golden palace ahead of her.

"It is huge!" She said and the man stared back at her in shock. Loki cleared his throat, nodding a bit and he grinned.

"She was very sheltered, her parents did not allow her to leave her homestead." Loki said, covering her exclamation and the man nodded with a laugh. He watched her stare at the glory of Asgard, her eyes blinking as a Skimmer flew over them and she stared at it. He pulled her down next to him, waving to the man and held her close.

"We can walk from here! Thank you for the ride, I pray you sell all your goods Sir." Loki said, the man stopping the horses and he waved back to them as another Skimmer flew past, they ducking between two buildings and waiting a moment. She stared after it, taking a picture with her phone and pointing at the path it took.

"You never told me boats could fly here." She said, he shrugging and sighing a bit.

"It slipped my mind, follow me. There is a tunnel nearby where we can sneak into the castle." He said, taking her hand and guiding her along the street. She glanced about her, amazed by everything she saw and her head bobbing with excitement.

"This is all so amazing! I can't believe that I am here, with Castles, and flying boats, and... is that a baby dragon?" She asked, pulling away to get a better look at the creature. She stared at it, the golden scaled beast with a chain around its neck blinking back at her as she snuck a photo of it. Loki walked over to her quickly, pulling her back before it snapped and bit her. The irate creature growling in its throat, and his black eyes blinking.

"It is... Be careful what you get close to, I know you are excited and wish to see all you can, but we must be careful." He scolded, her eyes on him and she grinned. She laughed a bit, she staring up at him and he grinned as he shook his head.

"Sorry, everything is so different here." She said, stepping up on her toes to kiss him. "Let's go get that apple."

"To the castle then, we may take our time returning to Midgard for a few moments. So that you may take in all that you wish." He said, ducking back as his eyes widened on a blonde haired man and a dark haired woman walking their way. He watched them pass and Loki waited for the duo to continue on their way, Liz peeking around him.

"Who is that?" She asked, blinking at the man and woman.

"Fandral and Sif, they are close friends of Thor's. Not particularly fond of me, I believe they merely tolerated me before but may kill me now." He replied, Liz blinking in concern at him. She bit her lip, both of them watching the man and woman enter a Tavern and they started walking again. They soon arrived at a side gate, Guards walking in formation through them and Elizabeth stopped.

"We can't go through there, there are like a million Soldiers there." She whispered and Loki rolled his eyes. He waved his hand, disguising them both as Palace Guards and gestured her forward. They caught up to the ones marching, joining their formation and he pulled her off to the side when no one was watching. He gestured again, Liz now wearing a Lavender silk gown with gold accents and her hair was adorned with pearls.

"Walk with a bit of a glide. I have you disguised as one of the Queens Handmaidens." He said and she took soft, careful steps as she took in the opulence of the interior of the castle. Her mouth fell open at the beautiful columns, all adorned with gold and marble. The floor under her feet was polished to high shine, a border on each side in a Celtic Knotwork pattern of inlaid gold. She blinked at the wonder of it all, the beauty of the architecture alone amazing her.

"This is so beautiful." She said, he smiling at her and loving how she marveled at everything she saw. He guided her around a corner, watching for anyone coming and she gaped at the gold, doubled doors to his former chambers. She blushed, looking up at him as he cracked one for them to slip in.

"Yes, I know. I finally have a girl in my Chambers." He said, following her through the doors and she giggled. She stared at the open rooms, peeking through the doors at the covered furniture and she saw Loki looking at everything in sadness. He uncovered the emerald covered bed of heavy, dark wood and blinked at how it was still untouched. Looking at a table next to a dark wood and emerald velvet chair and finding the book he had started reading, his eyes blinking to hide tears.

"Are you Okay?" She asked, putting her arm on his wrist and he nodded. He gave her a smile, but his red rimmed eyes betrayed him.

"It is all as I left it." He said, and she hugged him as he shifted back into himself. He embraced her back, shaking overcoming him and she held tighter to him.

"Maybe... Maybe they had hope you would come back." She said, and he nodded into her hair. "People do that, especially when they care. I did it for my family, I hoped it was all a huge mistake, that they would knock on the door and be there. But, it never happened. They are lucky in a way, you popped back up and they have another chance."

"You truly believe so?" He asked, she nodding and carefully smoothing his hair back.

"Yeah, I do. They hoped they would find you again." She said, he grinning and looking at the room around him. He walked to the wardrobe, opening it and he pulled a large, green blanket out of it. He put it over her shoulders and showed her a space under some draperies where she could hide until he returned. He put a cushion for her to sit on down, and she crawled behind them and grinned back at him.

"Be careful, don't get caught." She said, he shifting into the Merchant from before and she nodded as she smiled.

"You should ask that I don't bring you back a sour one." He replied, and reached out and grabbed his wrist before he could leave. She looked up at him, a smile on her face and she squeezed his hand before letting it slip away from her fingers.

"I know you, you will make sure it is super sweet." She laughed, he moving the draperies to cover the space a bit and quickly walking toward his doors. He took a moment to listen at them, holding his breath but heard no one in the hall outside. He cracked the door and stepped out it, making his way toward the Cottage of Idunn and the object that would save Liz's life.


	23. An Apple

Chapter 23.

Loki walked through the halls, making his way back out into the City and across a wood and stone bridge. He hurried, not wanting to keep Elizabeth waiting and he soon made his way down a road toward an orchard. He saw the stonework cottage with the thatched roof, knowing the woman who lived there was home from the whisps of smoke that rose from the chimney. He followed the low fence, feeling the magic that separated the orchard from the road and kept out thieves who would try to steal the golden apples of Idunn. His eyes taking in the leaves of the trees inside the fence, and the golden orbs hanging from the branches. He could reach out and take one, steal it away and no one would be wiser, but he wanted to do this the right way.

The Woman of the Orchard herself was waiting on her porch as he walked toward her, her eyes rising and her red hair braided and pulled up into a bun. She held in her hands the apple he sought, her face calm and her blue, cotton dress fluttering in the breeze. He paused, her eyes on him and he sighed as he saw the apple.

"I knew you were coming, and know why you want this." She said, smiling and she handed him the apple. "You may take it to her, and give her my blessing."

"You will not fight me for this? I am banished, trespassing in this Realm without permission to return." Loki said, she nodding as he took the large apple from her hands and slipping it into a velvet bag he brought with him. He tied the drawstrings to his belt, making sure it was secured and she smiled at him.

"I see an act of love, nothing more." She replied and she bowed to him. "Here is your apple for this hundred years, be certain that you are sure of what you want to do with it. You get no more until the time expires again."

"Thank you, Lady Idunn. I am more than sure that this is for Elizabeth, and I will care for her always." He replied, leaving and walking back the way he had come. The woman stood in the garden, watching him walk back toward the Palace and she smiled. A raven circling in the sky catching her attention, and she frowning at the sight over her. She sent out a prayer for the two lovers, hoping that he would be quick enough to save her with the apple before Odin found out the wayward Prince had returned for it. To her, it was so much more important to see him happy, as much as it was for Frigga.

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He walked through the halls, disguised as a Guard when he noticed the chaos starting to erupt around him. Another man crossed his path, stopping him and he felt his arm be tugged toward an entrance. The man who wrenched him around walked him back the way he came, his face filled with tension.

"Have you not heard? Loki has returned and has an Apple of Idunn to restore his powers!" The man said, Loki staring in feigned shock at the man with him. "King Odin wants us to check every corner of the Castle for him."

"Good, I pray we find him but I need to relieve myself first though. Let me go and I shall return." Loki said, knowing that he needed another disguise and a distraction to get back to Liz. He said a quick prayer that she was still safe, breaking off from the rest of the men to duck into a room and he changed himself into a Palace Maid. He slipped from the room, walking as fast as he could and an idea crossed his mind. He hurried down an empty corridor, standing a moment and let loose a scream of terror. Within moments, Guards came running and he pointed down the hall. He shook with fear, pretending to be a scared woman and a Guard stood close to her.

"I saw him! He ran when I screamed!" He said, the men rushing past the trembling Maid and one stopped to look at him.

"Find the a safe place Lass. We will catch and skin the bastard." He said, he nodding and he turned and ran toward his Chambers. This was not going well, and he had to get back to Elizabeth and give her the apple before he was caught. They would find a place to hide, then walk back to Midgard the way they came. This plan was foiled, and he was worried that he would get caught then.

He slowed his pace, checking around corners when he heard people shouting and running toward him. He ducked back against the wall, Thor and his friends running past and they stopped and stared directly at him. He pointed, shaking and tried his ruse again to make them leave.

"That way, I saw him that way. He is terrifying." He said, Thor walking over to him and holding his hands out.

"Worry not, we will find and catch him Lady." Thor said, Sif flanking him and he pressed against the wall. He felt a rough set of hands grab him, he being turned and his face pushed against the stone and he groaned in pain. "Especially since he is right in front of us. Am I right, Brother?"

"Let me go! I need to get to her!" He shouted, dropping the illusion and Hogun removed the pouch from his hip. Fandral opened it, removing the apple and he blinked at it.

"It is still whole. He has not eaten any of it." Fandral said, showing them the fruit and Sif held a knife to his throat. She gritted her teeth, the shackles closing on his wrists and he knew he had to fight.

"It is not for me! It is for Elizabeth! She will die without it!" He shouted, watching Hogun tie off the bag and Frigga appeared in the hall. Thor took the bag, swinging it back and forth and laughed at Loki.

"More lies, and I thought you had changed Loki. You could care less for the Mortal, admit that you came back for power and make your judgement easy on yourself." Thor said, he staring in shock at his Brother. He shook his head, Volstagg grabbing him and pushing him forward as Frigga stared in shock.

"It is not a lie. The tumor in her brain is growing and that will cure her. She is in my chambers now, waiting for that apple." He said, Volstagg shoving him forward and he nearly fell with his hands bound. "I promised to help her, give it to her and do whatever you want with me. Just give her a chance to live! You thick headed fools, she will..."

"Shut up." Sif said, slapping a muzzle over his mouth and gagging him into silence. He struggled against his bonds, Hogun striking him in the head and he sagged toward the floor. Frigga walked forward, reaching for the bag and Thor stopped her.

"Mother, this is evidence we need for Father to judge him. Do you truly think he brought a Mortal to Asgard to cure her of an illness?" He said and she blinked at him, her eyes wide at the arrogance of Thor. She stepped back, the Warriors outnumbering her and she looked at the unconcious form of her son as they dragged him away.

"I hope that you are wrong." She said, walking toward his empty chambers and he sighed. He looked at the bag in his hand, gesturing his friends on to take Loki to the dungeons and he followed them. On the way, he tied the bag with the apple in it to his belt, forgetting that he had it.

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Frigga opened the Chamber doors, two Maids with her and she peered into the darkening room. They heard a shift, the sun falling over the draperies in one corner and they saw something crawl backwards to stay out of sight. She walked toward the hiding woman, her face calm and she moved the frabric aside to see Elizabeth curled into a ball. She held out her hand, the girl wrapped in a blanket and sitting on a plush cushion. She saw a tear fall down her cheek, and she trembled in fear.

"Where is he?" Liz asked, Frigga sighing and she frowned. "Where is Loki?"

"Thor found him, he is alive and in the Dungeons now. Please come out so I might give you some food, you look exhausted and in need of a place to rest." Frigga replied and Liz crawled out of the spot with the blanket still around her. The pale girl gave her a curtsy, her eyes downcast and she started to cry.

"I don't want him to die because of me. This is not fair, please let me explain everything to whoever will listen Queen Frigga." She pleaded and Frigga opened her hands to the girl. She lifted her chin, smiling and she nodded.

"We shall, we will both prove that you are here for the apple only. We will plead his case, and make sure that Odin listens." Frigga replied, and she smiled. "But there is a larger matter at the moment, and it involves the Dark Elves. This will keep Loki alive for the time being, and we must keep you hidden and safe Dear."

"Do you promise nothing will happen to him yet?" She asked and Frigga nodded. The Maids smiling politely, and they found themselves liking the frail girl.

"I do. May I get you something to eat?" She asked and Liz nodded, her stomach answering for her.

"Can I see him? Please?" She asked, and Frigga took her hands. Both women started walking together, moving toward the Queen's Chambers and food for the hungry girl.

"Yes. But after you eat, I will show you how you can see him without rousing any suspicions." Frigga said, Liz never asking about the apple as they walked. Part of her not caring if she got it now, her only worry was that Loki would be fine.

"Okay." She replied, holding the blanket around her and walking with the women. Her eyes on the ground, and her feet moving automatically.


	24. A Prison

Chapter 24.

Loki woke, his head hurting and he felt the soft bed under his cheek. He stretched his jaw, the ache in it causing him to pinch his eyes shut and groan. He covered his eyes as he rolled o to his back, wondering if it all had been a dream. That he was going to wake on Midgard, and Liz was going to give him a tablet for the pain he was feeling and she would still be dying of the tumor in her brain. He groaned again, pushing off the mattress and looked down at the soft, blue coverlet and blinked at the all too bright room. His head hurt, his neck stiff, amd he heard voices shouting outside the chamber he was in. He looked at the transparent barrier, the low hum from it making him want to scream and he stood up in shock to find himself in the Dungeons.

"Thor!" He screamed, wanting to make noise to get his brother's attention and the Guard bringing in new prisoners slammed his staff against the barrier. Liz was alone out there, and he needed to get that apple to her, he needed to keep his promise.

"Silence Traitor! Or I will have you muzzled again!" The Guard shouted back, Loki glaring at him. He paced the room, his anger rising and he flipped a table in his rage.

"That will not get you anywhere Loki." A voice behind him warned, and he turned to see Frigga standing behind him. "Don't worry about your friend, she is resting after I gave her something to eat. The poor girl was exhausted, and I will have a bath prepared for her after she wakes. She is worried about you as well, and is begging to see you."

"Why would he not listen? I told him the truth, but it seems that it is the pleasure of your Golden Son to make me rot in here while she dies. He is forcing me to break my promise to her, and you of all people should know what that is to me!" Loki snarled, the illusion taking a step back and she looked worried. "SAY SOMETHING!"

"We are working on a way to get you freed, and I am looking for the truth in this matter. Why did you risk everything to give a dying Mortal an apple?" She asked, Loki turning from her and watching more prisoners be brought past.

"Thank you Odin, more friends to entertain myself with." He muttered at the passing group and he sighed. "I care for her. She was the first person to show me true friendship, the first to accept me as I am. Unlike the people of Asgard, she could see past the beast that is now meant for slaughter by your adoring Husband."

"She saw past your faults, and you saw past hers. You wanted to save her, because she was your friend, and willing to stay that way." She replied, a smile on her face. He turned back, watching her and he sat on the chair.

"She needs that apple, give it to her. Make Thor give it to you, and let her eat it. Odin may take my head, but let her live." He said, Frigga smiling wider and he saw an illusion form of Elizabeth sleeping on a golden bed. The blankets were tucked around her, and she wore a silken shift of white. Her hair cascaded over the pillows, and she tucked one arm under the cushion supporting her head as she sighed in her slumber.

"You love her." Frigga said, her hands opened and he turned back to face her. "I know you, Loki. You feel deeper than any other person I have ever met, but struggle to hide it so. You feel pain so terrible that it makes you bleed, and you hold anger until it festers, you laugh with such joy, and you burn with desire that it consumes you. You fear loosing the one person, other than myself, that has willingly given you back what you gave them. And for all her caring, and her kindness, you have fallen in love with her."

"You do not know me that well, I will not break my cellibacy or risk my studies to be with a Mortal." He replied and she shook her head with a smile.

"Don't I?" She said back, her smile never faltering. "I may not be able to apologize to you for never telling you about yourself, but I will do my best to preserve all that makes you happy again. She will be kept safe, I promise you that."

He stood up, walking over to Frigga and he let out a pained gasp. His hands passed through hers, and the illusion vanished, leaving him alone. He looked at the sleeping form of Elizabeth, her eyes closed and her arms curled under the pillow under her head. He longed to lay close to her, to wrap his arms around her and never let her go. The illusion vanished, he returning to the chair and he leaned forward to bury his hands in his hair.

"I am so sorry Elizabeth, I failed you." He said, his eyes closing and he not hearing the first signs that Asgard was under attack by the Dark Elves.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Liz heard the alarms, her heart jumping in her chest as she sat up on the bed. She reached for the robe, putting it on when Frigga and a brown haired woman burst into the room, she ran over to the Queen and stood in front of her. Frigga looking at her and gesturing the other woman toward another room. Her other hand held a sword, and she looked worried for the two women in her care.

"Go and hide. I have experience with swords." She said, Liz grabbing a knife off a kitchen tray as the other woman ran into the next room. Liz slipped behind some heavy drapes and did her best to stay still, but her trembling would not stop. She could hear heavy footsteps approaching the kind Queen, and she peered around the drapes to see what was happening.

A monster, with thick, tusk like horns and black skin entered to room, followed by a pale man with white hair and pointed ears. The Queen stood proudly with the sword to her side and she took a confident step to the side with her eyes locked in the two men. Liz admired how brave she was, the way she squared her shoulders and found instantly where Loki got his pride from. She watched as they spoke in a language they could not understand, and the Queen parried against the monster. She spun on her toes, turning and putting up a good fight before the monster grabbed her and held her to his chest by her throat.

"Where is the Aether?" The man demanded in a deep voice and Liz saw the other woman appear from her hiding spot. He walked toward her, the black armor he wore gleaming like a bit of midnight and Liz snuck from her spot. She saw the sword pressed to the Queen's side and she wanted to help her. She was going to die anyway from the tumor in her brain, her last gift to Loki could be saving his mother. She could do this, but she had to be careful.

"What?" The man exclaimed, the brown haired girl vanishing and Frigga sneered at the elf.

"I will never give her to you." She said and Liz saw the monster move his sword hand. Liz raised the knife, stabbing down on the arm, and she heard the sword hit the floor with a crash before she grabbed Queen Frigga and pushed her out of the way of a flying hammer. Frigga looked back and Elizabeth, her eyes wide and Thor chased after the two attackers. An old man in golden armor rushed in with Guards, they pulling her off the Queen she was protecting and she looked down at her arm because of the white hot pain. She was bleeding, three deep gashes from where the monster raked her with his talons and her head shrieked in agony from the stress.

"What is this Mortal doing here?" An old man in golden armor demanded, her world turning gray and then she could not see anything as her brain began to seize. Frigga ordered the men to lay her down gently, her muscles spasming and she used magic to heal her injuries. Jane ran toward them, her eyes wide and she put a pillow under Liz's head.

"I know what this is! She is having a seizure, my mom had them." Jane said, Frigga holding the shaking hand and she looked at Odin.

"She is the woman you left Loki with, he brought her here to heal her illness using and Apple of Idunn. She saved my life, and is quite brave." Frigga said to Odin, his face stern as the girl's body relaxed. Thor crouched next to her, his fingers moving her hair out of her face and he frowned.

"He did not lie, he did bring her here." Thor muttered to himself, and he looked at the Guards. "Take her to a Healer!"

"Take her back to the Bifrost and send her home. I look away for one moment, and we end up overrun with Midgardians. She does not belong her, and the other one will be confined to her Chambers!" Odin ordered, Frigga stopping him.

"The Bifrost will kill her, let us get her stronger again." Frigga pleaded, her eyes wide. "She risked her health, and body to protect my life."

"Very well, I will grant her that mercy." He said, leaning close to a Guard. "Tell Loki what happened here, let him know the woman is dying."

"Yes, My King." The man said, looking down at the blonde woman before leaving. Odin walked, gesturing for Thor to follow him and another Guard took Jane by the arm.

"Wait! What are you doing?" Jane asked, her eyes wide.

"She is your prisoner now?" Thor asked, his hand clenching in anger and he looked back at Jane.

"She is dangerous to this Realm, and should never have meddled with something beyond her understanding." Odin replied, turning and walking away from the people in the room behind him. Frigga ordered a Guard to carry Elizabeth to the Infirmary, she following them as they walked.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Guard approached the barrier, removing his helmet and he turned his head. Loki heard what he was saying, his words making some random sense and he nodded. He stood, looking around him and words echoed through his head.

"You might want to take the stairs to the left."

"The Mortal, Lady Elizabeth was injured protecting Queen Frigga. She is in the infirmary, she may die."

Words that had meaning, and he remembered a blonde head of hair.

Her remembered a woman laughing and sticking a candle label to his forehead, she telling him he was lost in his thoughts again.

"Hey, Space Cadet."

Laughter. A sunny day, amd a Lavender dress.

He remembered so much at once and hated himself for those words he spoke to the monster.

"The stairs to the left."

It was his fault. She could die, all because he wanted Thor to be the one who crossed paths with the monster. She was hurt by his actions, and she could die.

He walked to the chair, grabbing it and swinging it around to slam it against the barrier. It splintered, breaking into pieces and he threw tha table to the side. He screamed with all his rage, his inner hatred at what he had done and what he would never do. He hated himself, and he deserved to die.

He flipped the bed onto its side, covers and pillows flying about and he tracked his bare feet over the broken glass from the bottle of wine that crashed to the floor as he flipped another table.

He felt no pain though, only rage. Rage for the woman he hurt, rage for his arrogance, rage for what he was loosing.

"Always so perceptive about others, but never for yourself."

He screamed again, his sorrows showing and he collapsed against the wall and slid down it. His hair and clothes torn and ruined, and he leaned against the wall. Elizabeth was dying, and he promised he would save her.

He truly was the King of Lies.


	25. A Deal Struck

Chapter 25.

Elizabeth woke, her head pounding and she blinked at the image that floated above her. Her eyes focused on an image of her body, and she jerked in shock at the shimmering facsimile. A hand on hers turned her head, and she saw Frigga standing by to calm her as she lay still. She saw the tumor in her brain glowing blue, and the rest of her body outlined in shimmering orange. She blinked, a woman standing over her and studying the image.

"Am I dead?" She asked and she woman blinked down at her. Turning to offer her something in a small spoon, she opened her mouth and drank it willingly. It tasted to her like berries, and her headache dulled instantly. The medicine calming her as well, and making her feel a bit floaty.

"Far from it, please don't move. I am attempting to study the mass that is growing inside your brain." The brown haired woman in the blue dress said, Liz blinking again and the woman shook her head as she looked at Frigga. "It cannot be removed, it will only grow until it causes her brain to swell and she will slip into a deep sleep and die. The only thing that can save her is an Apple of Idunn, My Queen."

"I thought so, can we give her something to prevent the convulsions though? And something for her pains Lady Eir?" Frigga asked and Liz smiled at the woman hopefully. She walked to a cabinet, taking down two bottles and handing them to Frigga.

"The pink one will stop the aches, and the black one will prevent the convulsions." She replied, Frigga watching Liz sit up and she blushed at her clothes. She was still wearing the nightgown and robe, and everyone saw her in it during the attack.

"Thank you Eir, I hope that Loki finds a way to help her then." Frigga said, looping her arm through Elizabeth's and she began walking back to the Chambers she was in. "Thank you so much for your bravery, I appreciate you saving my life. I wrote to Idunn, and hope she will respond soon. I owe you so much gratitude, and do not know how to express it."

"Is Loki Okay? What were those creatures? Did Thor get them?" Liz asked, the medicine making her wobbly and Frigga walked slower. She looked around her and walked to the open breeze way and stared out over the City. The sun was setting and she took in a deep breath of the fresh air, her eyes closing.

"Loki is well, he... He thought you died in the attack, and we cannot speak to him at the moment. I will see if we can visit with him later, after you have dressed and rested more." Frigga promised and Liz nodded. They entered the rooms, the Queen walking her to the bed and laying her down. "May I ask you an honest question?"

"We... we did not do anything more than kiss a bunch of times." Liz replied, Frigga laughing at her answer. "He was being a gentleman the whole time. I know it is crazy, I should hate him for what he did in New York, but I can't. He is like a lost puppy on the streets, you can't turn your back on him, or ignore how cute he is."

"That is a very interesting analogy that you just made, I will have to remember that." Frigga replied and laughed at her words. "I wanted to know if you were in love with Loki, not that it is any of my business Lady Elizabeth."

"I... I think I am." Liz answered, Frigga finding hope for her lost son. "He was really rude to me at first, and scared me a lot more when he fell into my Lavender field. But after a while, I started seeing how nice he could be, and how happy he was to have a friend. It kind of made me want to be more, but this thing in my head is killing me, and I don't want to hurt him when I die."

"You are so kind in regards to the world. You look at it with better eyes." Frigha replied, covering her as she lay down on the bed and letting her relax. "I do so hope that we find a way to preserve you, we need more persons like you in the realms."

"Thank you. I think you are really nice too, considering that I am sort of a trespasser here." Liz said, her voice becoming soft and she closed her eyes to sleep. The excitement over the last couple of days had taken it's toll, and Frigga could see how very frail her health was at the moment. She stood, walking out of her Chambers and to find Thor. She needed that Apple from him, and she was not going to take a refusal from her son.

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"Have you come to gloat? To tell me how she suffered before she faded away?" Loki said, his hands folded behind his back as he leaned forward to glare through the barrier at his Brother. "Or have you come to tell me that your woman lives, while my friend is cold and awaiting a Funeral Pyre?"

"Enough Loki. No more illusions." Thor said, crossing his arms and Loki let out a breath as the illusion over the cell shimmered away. The chaos of the aftermath of his rage matching his mind, and he sat on the floor against the wall. His hair and clothes disheveled, and his foot bleeding. Tears marked his face, and he blinked at Thor. The desperation, grief, and lack of hope etched in his face as he leaned against the wall and laughed to himself.

"Now you see me, Brother." Loki said, choking back his sadness and he frowned. "Did she suffer, please tell me the truth." He said, and Thor shook his head.

"She convulsed, but it passed. She saved Mother's life, so I have come to see you about a solution to her illness." He replied, saddened by what he was seeing. He had never seen Loki so broken, and he feared that asking him more would bring his plans to ruin. Loki laughed, his smile wide as he sat back and stared at Thor.

"She always was braver than she appeared to be." He laughed, shaking his head. "I appreciate that about Elizabeth. She stared into the beast, never flinching, and found the man."

"I was hoping to find my Brother, the man I fought beside and grew up with. But now I see, you are not him anymore. I need your knowledge, and a guarantee that there will be no more tricks or betrayals from you. In return, I will sneak you, the apple, and Elizabeth out of Asgard." Thor said, holding up the bag and Loki's mouth fell open at the sight of it.

"You must be truly desperate to come to me for help." Loki replied, unable to believe this offer. "What garuntee do I have that you will honor your word?"

"My word is honest, not like yours. To make the bargain set, If you should agree, I will take you to see her before we leave." He replied, tying the bag to his belt again and crossing his arms. "If you refuse, or try to betray me, I will keep the apple and let her die from the tumor she has in her brain. I will not make this offer twice, so you had better decide."

"You resort to threatening me yet again to get what you want, this is so very like you Thor. Do you remember when we were children, how you would tell me that you would throw me off a bridge if I did not agree to your games? Now you resort to using an innocent life as your pawn, interesting how the Son of Odin has changed himself." Loki said, leaning back at him. "You know how I see her, and you use her life as ransom. You will give me more than this, if I fall in this suicidal mission of yours, she still gets the apple."

"I agree Loki. I will give her the apple." Thor said, letting out a breath and shaking his head. "I wish I could trust you."

Loki thought for a moment, biding his time and he sighed to himself. His powers were not truly restored, and he would have to be careful to avoid any peril. If he died, Elizabeth would still live, she would get what they came for and be able to have a family of her own. She would see the world, and tend her farm, he would keep an eye on her from Valhalla. He let out a long breath, rocking his head against the wall and looking at Thor.

"When do we start?" He replied, grinning at the fun he was going to have and the renewed chance to save Elizabeth.

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Liz sat in the room alone, her head had stopped hurting and she was admiring the base of flowers on the table. She looked down at her lap, her fingers tracing the embroidery on the shawl and she felt so thin. Her heart growing heavy, and the strain of fighting to stay alive making her weaker by the moment. Frigga left her to get permission from Odin to see Loki, and she put on the pale rose dress with the help of two Maids. She stood up, walking to the mirror and admired herself, sad that she was going to have to see Loki from between bars and tell him that she was fine with dying. She did not hear the door behind her open and close, and she adjusted the comb holding the long golden waves of her hair up in a loose bun.

"I am so sorry, we tried though." She sighed, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Why would you be sorry?" A voice behind her said, making her jump and turn on her heels. The soft shoes on her feet made little sound, and the vision of her was angelic to Loki. She gasped, blinking and she ran to him and embraced him.

"How..." She started but pushed away from him. "Tell me you did not kill anyone."

"Not yet. But the day is still rather young." He replied and she laughed while shaking her head. "You look beautiful wearing that, let me remember this always."

"Thank you, and you look dashing in you armor." She replied, smiling and fighting tears. "Did they let you out after I saved your Mom?"

"No. But, I did hear about that, and the convulsions. I am sorry, but... Thor has the apple, and he made a bargain with me... I do not have much time Elizabeth." Loki said, his face falling. He could not look at her, and she lifted a hand to turn his head gently. He looked at the tapered sleeve over the back of her hand, his heart sinking that she may never see him again and he kissed her. She gasped, the two if them separating as Thor and three warriors walked in. They all glared at him, the blonde one with a moustache giving her a sad look.

"This is the poor girl?" The dark haired one said, his eyes downcast.

"Aye Hogun. This is Lady Elizabeth Baker of Midgard." Thor said and Fandral gave her a polite bow, she took Loki's hand and looked at him.

"What bargain? What is going on?" She asked and she bit her lip. She looked worried, Loki sighing and he swallowed hard.

"I have to help them get a stone of power out of the Mortal attached to Thor, it is killing her and they need to be taken to the realm of the Dark Elves." He started, and she shook her head.

"No. You could get killed, you are not like them anymore... Loki." She gasped, her eyes filling with tears. "I... I have come to terms with it all, you don't have to do this... I'm fine with dying."

"I do." He said, and took both of her hands. The warriors watched their exchange, Hogun turning his back politely and the red bearded one swallowing hard. "If I do this, Thor has promised me the apple back, and to get us both safe passage to Earth. I will come back Elizabeth, I swear this to you."

"You better." She said, hugging him around the shoulders and he blinked back his own tears. "Or I swear, I will kill you."

"My brave Mortal, always filled with courage in the face of terrible odds." He said and she laughed into his neck, her eyes opening and seeing the blonde man walk toward them.

"We have to go, Thor made good on his word and Sif has Jane." He said, the doors opening and Thor put shackles on Loki. Liz began to protest and the brown haired woman walked toward them and punched Loki in the jaw, his head rocked to the side and Liz shouted at her.

"That was for New York." She said, and Liz stepped in front of the woman before she could hit him again.

"Keep your hands off him!" Liz said, the woman staring at her in shock. "My family died there and I forgave him, he does not have to help you if you smack him again."

"See why I like her?" Loki said with a grin. He took her hand with one of his, Sif drawing her sword and putting it to his throat.

"If you betray him, I will kill you." She warned and Liz ducked the blade. "I like your Mortal as well, but I will kill her too."

"Brain tumor may beat you to that." Liz said, and she blinked as her hands went numb. She was fighting off a seizure, and knew that he would stay if she had it.

"We are wasting time, we have to go." Thor said and Liz looked back at him, Fandral saw her fall first and she began to convulse as he laid her down. Loki dropped to his knees next to her and he saw her body trembling.

"The bottle, black one!" Thor shouted and Volstagg picked up the small container. Loki moved her hair back, a tear falling down his cheek at her suffering and he looked at Fandral.

"Take these off of me! Do it!" He shouted and Fandral shook his head as Thor used a spoon to measure out the medicine. He put it to her lips, and poured it into her mouth. His large fingers covered her lips, waiting for it to seep down her throat and Volstagg glared at Thor.

"I will take her to the bed." Hogun said, lifting her up as she relaxed, her hand on her stomach and he carefully arranged her so that she could rest. Loki walked with him, and he leaned over to kiss her forehead.

"Ye are playin with a life here Thor, this is wrong." Volstagg said, his eyes on the woman as Loki closed the gauze canopy around the bed.

"I have to agree with Volstagg, she is an innocent in all this. She also saved the life of your Mother, yet you are using her for your gain. That is not like you, it is almost as if you took a few lessons from Loki." Sif said, crossing her arms and Jane shook her head.

"I will give her the apple when we return and keep my word. I do not trust him, and this way, I keep him from killing me." Thor said, laughing off their concerns. Fandral shook his head and blinked, unable to take his eyes off of Loki as he left the suffering woman on the bed. He may have been a womanizer, but he was never overly cruel to them, nor one to allow one to suffer so.

"You better." Jane said, frowning at Loki and she saw him stare at her as she woke a bit. She saw how sweet he was to the woman, and she let out a long breath before they left the rooms. Loki followed them, praying that she would be well and they all hurried along the halls toward the crashed ship in the Great Hall. Their group branching off, all set to different tasks and Volstagg drew his ax.

"No killing." Thor warned, Loki rolling his eyes and several Guards rushed them. Before they ducked into the ship, Loki saw Frigga ushering her Maids away and he gave her a wave and a smile.


	26. Tragedy

Chapter 26.

Loki gasped with the pain, his blood seeping through his fingers as he groaned and clutched at the wound on his chest. There was so very much blood, and he cursed his arrogance for letting him believe he could best the monster. Jane lay on her side and she sat up slowly, her eyes filling with tears at what she was watching.

"You fool. Why did you do that? Damned fool Loki." Thor said, lifting his head and Loki shivered from blood loss and he grew so very cold. He swallowed, his heart breaking at the thought of Liz being told he was dead.

"I am a fool, such a fool." Loki agreed, silently praying that the Norns would give him a chance at life. This was unfair, he was supposed to go back to Midgard with Elizabeth, make soap and sell it at markets, he was to be the one to give her the apple. She was supposed to love him, not mourn him.

"I will tell Father what you did here today, you will be remembered." Thor said, the promise on his lips as he spoke. Loki's skin took on a gray tinge, the blood seeping from his body into the barren soil below him. He shook his head, his hand grabbing at the pouch still tied to Thor's belt and he stared into his brother's eyes.

"I did not do this for him." He said, his last words carried away on the wind as his eyes closed and life left his body. Thor screamed, his eyes filled with tears and Jane collapsed to the ground near him. He lay Loki down, lifting her in his arms and he looked at her. The stone had left her drained, and she was dying from the loss of energy. He could not let them both die, especially not Jane. He looked at his belt, untying the bag and he pressed the flesh of the apple to her lips.

"Jane... please eat this, it will save you." Thor said, and her mouth opened and she took a bite of the sweet flesh of Elizabeth's apple.

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Elizabeth sat in the Chambers alone, her heart feeling as if it had been ripped out of her chest and a gaping hole left behind. She screamed at the words Thor had said, beaten at his chest, but none of it brought Loki back. She cried next to the fireplace then, hearing Guards pass by in formation and she eventually ran out of tears. She could not cry anymore for him, but she could be happy that she was going to see him again soon. The apple was gone, and the tumor would do what it was meant to do.

"Where is the apple Thor, you gave Loki your word that you would give it to her if he helped you." Frigga inquired, her hands opening and he looked down in shame for his actions.

"Mother..." he started, The Queen turning away in disappointment as Liz watched them. She turned back, her eyes wide as Jane entered the room with a soft, golden glow around her. Liz stood up, and Frigga gasped.

"You swore to Loki that you would give her the apple! How could you betray his confidence? How could you break your word to a dying man, after you promised him?" Frigga scolded, Liz walked to her, resting a hand on her arm amd she smiled at the Queen.

"It is fine, I will see him when I die. I just don't have to wait as long, and maybe I will slip into a coma and go without pain." Liz said, the words echoing throughout the room as Frigga dismissed Thor and Jane. He bowed, taking Jane's hand and Frigga sat with the mourning girl and they both watched the fire in silence. Frigga saw how brave this Mortal woman truly was then, facing her own death and taking some happiness in the fact that she would see her love again soon.

Neither one of them knew that the Guards had brought his body back, it laying in stasis as it waited for the Pyre that would consume it. Neither woman knew that elsewhere in the Castle, a crystal shattered and freed the life force and magic of a man who unselfishly sacrificed himself so that an innocent woman could live. It ghosted over the body of the dead man, seeping into him and he took in a long gasp of air. His eyes flying open, amd he stared up at the ceiling over him.

"Gods!" He gasped, groaning at the pain in his chest and he rolled to his side and coughed. He looked down at his fine clothes, removing his helm and letting it fall to the floor. It hit with a loud clang, and he pulled himself to his feet slowly. The Guards outside the room heard the commotion and entered, both of them shouting for Healers as they saw a dead man resurrected, stand. Odin walked in, and he stared in mute shock his eye closing and he knew what had happened to bring his fallen son back. Loki stumbled, looking around him and he blinked.

"Elizabeth... where? Where is she?" He groaned and he looked back at Odin. The Old King shook his head, pointing down the hall and Loki stumbled out the doors toward Frigga's Chambers. He had to show her he was alive, he had to see her with the soft glow of immortal life, and he had to ask her to be his Bride. He would not let her fade, and he would soon have her forever.

He stumbled forward, the moonlight filling the hall as he looked down at his tunic and saw the blood. He used magic to change his clothes, his smile growing as he realized that he was restored to favor.

"Elizabeth." He whispered, using her name as a mantra as he willed his legs to propel him toward her.

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She woke, her eyes on the canopy over her and she slipped from the bed. She did not see anyone at first in the darkness, but she felt their presence and glanced around her a moment in fear. Her eyes were puffy from crying, and she limped toward the open window. She nearly fell from the weakness in one of her legs, and her hand trembled violently from the tumor. None of it mattered to her, because he was gone and she would see him soon. She had to remind herself of that, or she would fall to a million little pieces and give up her bravery.

She leaned against the wall, her head aching and she looked for the small bottle to stop the pain. She opened it, her hands shaking as she measured out a spoon full of the medicine and nearly dropped the bottle in the process. The shadow behind her coming to life and walking toward her, she dropping the spoon amd cursing at the mess as she tried to pick it up and falling over as she bent at the waist. Her eyes saw a familiar pair of boots, and she jumped back and lost her footing. She hissed at the pain in her head, and bit back a scream of terror as she saw his face.

"Elizabeth." He said, and she shook her head. He snapped his fingers and the candles lit around her, her leg giving up as she tried to stand and she fell to the ground in her shift. She blinked, her head shrieking with pain and she held it and whimpered.

"Please... I will... will be there soon. Just... just wait for me." She gasped, her hands shaking and she wanted to cry with the pain.

"Liz, I'm alive." He said, his arms around her and she blinked up at him as he crouched down and wrapped her in his arms. "Where is the apple? Why did you not eat it?"

"Thor... Jane. She was dying and he thought you were dead..." She gasped, her arms wrapping around his neck amd she sobbed into his shoulder. His eyes went wide on rage, and he felt her trembling body close to him. "He said she was dying, and he had no other choice."

"He gave me his word!" Loki hissed, his hands working the stopper of the bottle open to give her some of the medicine. He measured it out, slipping it into her mouth and she drank it down willingly. Her eyelids fluttered as she dozed back into sleep, the doors to the other rooms opening and Frigga walking in. Her eyes went wide, seeing her son holding the woman he loved in his arms and she gasped. He turned his face toward her and he lifted the girl, her face calm and her chest rising peacefully.

"He gave me his word. He promised that she could have the apple. He broke his word to save his wretch!" Loki said, carrying her to the bed and laying her down. He stormed out of the doors, his rage building and he walked through the all too familiar halls toward Thor's rooms. The Guards watched him as he passed, not intervening when he raised his fist and pounded on the door and the wood shuddered with each blow. He recieved no response from within, his anger getting the better of him and he slammed his closed fist into the doors and his magic blew them inward.

"WHAT IN THE NINE!" Thor shouted, covering Jane with his body until the dust settled amd he looked around himself completely bewildered. His eyes fixed on the source to the explosion, and a grin crossed his face. "Loki! You are alive!"

"I am." He growled, stepping forward and his magic surged through him. Jane lifted her head slowly, her eyes going wide as Thor was yanked off of her and thrown into a wall across the room.

"You promised me that you would give her the apple! You gave me your word!" He shrieked, Thor rolling to his side and groaning in pain. "You, the Golden Son of Odin, always thinking selfishly. Unable to even keep a promise to your so called brother! But what is the word of a King, especially when it does not suit him!"

"Loki, I had no choice! Jane was dying, and your Mortal would not have wanted to live with you gone. We thought you dead, and it was the only way." Thor said, standing and grabbing a pair of pants. He started putting them on, and stopped as he realized something. "You got your magic back! Good for you!"

"You will go and fetch your apple in the morning, you will give yours to Elizabeth to rectify this!" Loki hissed, his fists clenched and Thor shook his head. The Darker Prince walked toward Thor, and they glared at eachother.

"I cannot do that." Thor said, and Loki rolled his eyes.

"You will, or I will cut her throat and make you watch her die!" Loki shouted and Thor punched Loki in the jaw. Both men tumbled over, fighting one another and Frigga ran into the room in her dressing gown. She pulled at Loki's elbow, he looking back at her and growling with rage.

"I cannot get the apple, because I already requested mine!" Thor shouted, trying to free his hair from Loki's grip. "Sif was wounded mortally, I asked for the apple and I gave it to her to save her life! Now let go of my hair!"

"Loki, there is a way to rectify this without violence." Frigga said, her voice calm and she tried to seperate the two men. She held her hands out, trying to calm the situation and he glared at her.

"Fix this? I do not see how this could be repaired! He has proven that his word holds no value, amd that he is about as deceitful as you and Odin are." Loki said, his hand releasing Thor's hair and he stood up and stalked toward the Queen. "But is that not what this family does? Lies to take whatever they wish, tells half truths and deceives everyone they can by hiding their true nature. You were never Mother, and he was never my Brother! I was a puppet dancing on your strings until I cut them and learned the truth about what I was, and you have the audacity to feign shock at all of this. Thor gets what he desires, and Loki has to settle for the scraps. Just as it always has been."

"You know he did not mean this." Frigga said, blinking back tears and he turned away from the room. He walked to the doors, Palace Staff peering in and staring in shock at the scene. Thor stood up slowly, keeping a distance from Loki.

"You should know better than to patronize me, especially after what has been done." He said, Frigga shrinking back at the glare Loki gave her and she folded her hands over her chest. She pressed her lips together, shaking her head and sighing.

"Then it seems that I mourn a friend, and a son at the same time." She said, walking back to her Chambers. Loki glared at the woman on the bed, clutching the sheets to herself in mute shock at what had happened and she blinked led at Loki. She cleared her throat, sitting back and she looked at her lap.

"You have a right to be mad." Jane said, nodding to herself and he glared at her. "I would be too."

Loki held up a finger, warning her to stay quiet and he walked out of the room. The broken doors wobbling under his feet as he walked and Thor following him a moment, his feet slipping under him as he moved and he watched Loki stalk toward his old Chambers. The Servants parted in his wake, and Thor dug a tunic out of a pile of clothes for Jane to cover herself with. She pulled it on, getting out of the bed and she left him. He wanted to follow her, but she motioned for him to stay and she walked to the rooms Elizabeth lay in.

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In the courtyard, a lone, blonde haired woman mounted a silvery gray mare and rode toward a certain orchard. Her tears blinding her as she spurred the horse forward, and she knew that time was short. She felt nothing but pain, for all she could have done and could have been. Her guilt forcing her hand, and she leaned closer to her mount. She kicked the flanks of the mare with her heels, and the horse galloped through the city amd through the night.

It was the only way, the only way to make ammends for all the years she lied to her Son. It was the only way she could properly apologize for the pain she caused him, and she knew this was the path destined for her.

Her pale cloak fluttered behind her as she rode, this pale, ghostly woman reduced to one desperate act to save the family she fought so long and hard to protect.


	27. Acceptance and Joy

Chapter 27.

Liz opened the doors, walking into the now familiar rooms and she looked around the room Loki left her the first day. She stepped forward cautiously, favoring the weak leg and she nearly stumbled as she came to a rug. She reached for the back of a chair, her arm growing weaker from the tumor, and she knew it was only a matter of time before she slipped away. Her eyes were calm, not letting on that she was starting to go blind and she blinked a moment to focus them.

She had hoped that the previous night had not been a dream, she had hoped that Loki was really alive and that she could hold him as she died. She looked around the rooms, the covers taken off the furniture and she looked at the bed that was piled high with blankets and pillows. She wanted to lay down on it, but backed away form it to not make a mess for the Maids. Instead, she opened a wardrobe, looking at the clothes in it and smiling as she picked up a very familiar helm. She turned it in her hands, marveling at how heavy the golden piece was and she blinked back tears. She set it back neatly, running her fingers over the curve of a horn and closed the doors again. Her pale peach dress of silk flowing over her body, as she walked to another cabinet and opened it to study the collection of herbs stored in jars. She picked up one, and turned it in the light and smiled at it.

She could see him working with these ingredients, concocting potions and elixirs. His brow furrowed in thought as he bit his lip, and his careful notes spread before him. She set the jar back carefully, picking up a leather covered journal and turning the pages. He had carefully drawn the herbs in the jars, and written out their uses in a language she could not understand. She smiled at them, marveling in how detailed and meticulous he was and she turned to the last page. Her eyes went wide, and she swallowed at the perfect drawing of a lavender plant. She bit down on her thumb to not cry, and she saw how he had written the properties of the plant in question in English, and how it was used in their soaps. Her thoughts interrupted by the doors opening and Frigga walking toward her, the cloak she was wearing covering her mussed hair and her wind reddened cheeks.

"I am so glad that I found you, I had to hurry, before you had crossed into Valhalla. Please dear, you should have stayed in your Chambers, you are growing so weak." Frigga said, her hands opened to her and Liz set the book down carefully. She shook her head and smiled, taking the older women's hand and blinking back tears.

"I... I dont know how to convince you, but I am perfectly fine with dying now. I accept that it is happening, and I am fine knowing that I get to see Loki again there. Don't worry about me anymore, you have been nothing but nice to me through all this." Liz replied, her eyes going wide as Loki walked into the room. She felt weak then, and she covered her mouth as he walked toward her. "I thought... I thought you were a dream."

"I am quite alive, and... And I am sorry that I failed you." He said and she walked toward him, poking him in the chest with her fingers. He blinked at her with a frown, and Liz turned to Frigga.

"You can see him? He is really here?" She asked, and Frigga held back a laugh as she nodded. Liz looked back at him, her face filling with hope and she squealed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and started to sob.

"Elizabeth... I did not get you the apple." He said, his arms around her back and she shook her head.

"I don't care about an apple, I am so happy you are alive. Stop being mad at your mom, she did not give Jane the apple, and she wanted me to live more than anything. You are alive, that is all that matters right now, so live." She choked out, her eyes pinching shut in her joy to hold back her tears. She shook against him, and he held onto her as she cried and he stroked his hand over her hair.

"Loki..." Frigga started, but she fell silent at his glare. She stepped back, putting a hand into her cloak and she extricated a Golden Apple from the folds. His eyes went wide, and he reached a shaking hand for it and she held it out to him.

"You had not asked for one?" He said, she nodding as Liz turned in his arms to see the apple. He took it and Frigga smiled at him, his eyes on her and his heart aching to say how sorry he was for screaming at her. For all that he said in his rage, he looked over the apple to his mother and felt Elizabeth slip from his arms in a fall. He stopped her, supporting her weight and she held onto his shoulder with her good hand.

"The last time I asked for one, you were two hundred and had a fever. You were so very weak, and the Healers did all they could for you. I could not, I would not let my son perish when he had so much promise in him for such great things. I made my decision then, so I hurried to Idunn and begged her for the apple, just as I did last night. I asked her for the first time in nearly a thousand years, for an apple." Frigga said, and she saw Elizabeth carefully touch the shining fruit with the tips of her fingers. "I did lie to you for so very long to preserve the peace of my marriage, and I see now how you both need one another. She brought you back to us, and I cannot let that slip away. I only pray that you will allow me to think of your friend... allow me to think of Elizabeth as a daughter. I am sorry for those years, and I should have told you as I so wanted to. And to be honest, Thor is the son I carried in my womb, but you are the one I carried in my heart. You were the one I gave knowledge to in order to make you stronger, and in that single moment, I broke your heart by abusing your trust. For that, I am so very sorry for all that I did, for the deceit and the omission of truth."

Loki heard her words, blinking back his own tears now and he placed the apple in Liz's hands. She held the fruit, her eyes on it and he walked to Frigga and embraced her and she cried as he did to. Liz celebrated internally at their finding peace, and she smiled at the reconciliation in front of her as she blinked back her own tears. Loki turned back to her, his eyes on the apple in her hands and Frigga laughed.

"By the Nine girl, don't stare at it, eat it. Live so that you and Loki may cause troubles together, and share adventures unburdened." Frigga scolded and Liz pointed a finger at Loki.

"I knew you would make up with her, and I am really proud of you." She said, holding the apple in both hands. "It is a good thing I skipped breakfast, this is huge."

"Eat the damned thing, Elizabeth." Loki groaned and she laughed at him as she put it to her lips and took the first bite of the golden hued fruit. Frigga held his hand, and she sat on a lounge as she licked the juice off her fingers and continued to eat the sweetest apple she had ever eaten in her life. The rich flesh vanishing as she took another bite and continued to do so until there was nothing but a core. She then yawned, a golden shimmer dancing over her skin as she drifted to a merciful sleep and she lay back and closed her eyes.

"She will sleep for a while, her body will be purging the mass from her brain. It is a mercy, that she will not feel the pain of it leaving her body." Frigga said, and she smiled at Loki. He wrapped his arms around his mother again, she smiling at his affections and she laughed.

"Thank you Mother." He said, meaning every word.

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Elizabeth woke, sitting up on the bed and she stared in awe at her hands. Her skin glowed with a golden light, and her hair felt so very lush and thick. She looked around her, everything she saw being perfectly focused and her hearing was enhanced as well. She looked at the soft sunlight through the gauzy curtains, and she held her breath as she saw herself in the mirror. Her hair fell in lush waves around her shoulders, and she had a drowsiness to her cheeks she had never had before, the dark circles under her eyes were gone, and her skin appeared softer than before. Elizabeth blinked at herself, her vision falling on the weave of her skirts as she slipped the bed and walked to the doors. She gripped the handles and opened them, Loki looking up from a book at her as she stared at him in silence.

"You are awake, how do you feel?" He asked her and she let out a long breath. He stood, walking toward her and she ducked her head to study the leaves on the tree outside the window. It was so beautiful to her, and she felt a hand turn her head back.

" Everything is so clear, I can see the writing on that book from the door. What happened to me?" She asked, a bird outside the window singing and getting her attention. "Is this part of the apple?"

"It is." He said and she saw herself in another mirror. Her skin glowed with an inner light, the soft Aurora surrounding her and she blushed.

"I'm... I'm glowing."

"It will fade, you are being welcomed to your new, long life. You can have anything you want now, a husband, children, even the right to boast to Sara about it all." He said, his hands resting on her shoulders. She turned, looking at him and he cradled his cheek in her hand.

"I want you, I want the life we imagined... together." She said, their lips meeting in a kiss and he held her to him. The soft silk of her dress flowing under his hands, and she held to him in kind. He lifted her off her feet, she laughing as he held her over his head and she laughed. Her hands clutched at his shoulders, and he turned in the empty room with her.

"Don't drop me!" She squealed, her feet kicking and he let her down slowly, the door behind them opening and Frigga walking in. She looked worried for a moment, and she laughed to herself as she saw all was well and folded her hands.

"Forgive me, I heard a scream." She said and she smiled at Elizabeth. "I am so happy you are well Dear, you made me worry when you slept the day away."

"A whole day?" Elizabeth asked, her eyes wide and Loki let out a breath. She looked up at him, her eyes wide with shock and he blinked.

"I was going to tell you, you tumor took time to purge from your body, so you thankfully slept through all the pains of it." He said, his eyes sad. "When the last of it was gone, and the convulsions stopped. I remained near you, to ensure that you did not wake alone."

"Its gone then?" She asked, her eyes wide and he nodded. "I will not die, or get any worse?"

"No, you are perfectly healthy." Loki said, leaning close to her to kiss her and a small cough got their attention. Liz blushed at Frigga, and Loki let her go and folded his hands behind her back.

"Well, there is another matter, Odin wants both she and Jane returned to Midgard as soon as possible." Frigga said, amd Loki rolled his eyes. "To keep Jane here, Thor has married the girl and she is now allowed to stay. I do fear the Odin will not allow the same for Elizabeth."

"Thor got married? Woah!" Elizabeth gasped, covering her mouth at Frigga's expression. The look on the Queen's face screamed that she had wanted to witness the marriage, so Liz shut her her mouth before anything she said made matters worse.

"I really do not care." Loki said, and laughed to himself. "We will both be returning to Midgard, where we have chosen to live. We will live on the farm where I was banished to, and work the land to make it prosper. We will be quite happy there, and not be a bother to anyone."

"Of course, you can visit." Liz said, giggling at Frigga when Loki wrapper her in an embrace and the woman smiled. "We will make a bed up for you, and have pancakes in the mornings."

"It sounds wonderful Lady Elizabeth, and I do hope that you visit us here as well. To me, you are always welcome. And the Maids like you, I fear Jane has them running circles." Figga replied and Loki cleared his throat. The women turned and looked at him, his finger raised and he pinched his lips together.

"I did promise Elizabeth one more thing, that I would show her Asgard properly." Loki said, his hands open and Frigga nodded. She grinned, winking at him and she smiled.

"I thought as much, so, I made Odin promise me that he would not have Guards drag her down the Bifrost to expel her. You have a week." Frigga replied and Liz laughed.

"She is good. You have got to tell me how you managed to rule the roost." Liz laughed, her cheeks rosy and Frigga gave her a secret smile.

"I believe you already know how to do that... Liz." Frigga replied and walked to the doors, pausing and she looked back at Loki. "Be a gentleman to her, and there is a banquet tonight. To celebrate the Mortal who saved my life."

"Mother..." Loki groaned, and Liz covered his mouth before he could ruin their renewed peace. She grinned at him, curtsying to the Queen and both women laughed.

"We will be there." Liz said quickly. He raising an eyebrow at her and she grinned, his eyes rolling in exasperation. Frigga left them and Liz grimaced, waving her hand and making a few noises of disghust.

"Did you just lick my hand? Gross!" She said, he laughing and he grinned sheepishly as she wiped her hand on his arm.

"Of course, you nearly covered my nose as well. I could not breathe, it is a bit important." He said, his hands circling her waist and he rested his chin on her shoulder. "I plan to kiss you all over rather soon, if you wish to rest another day. I hear it can be quite traumatic to be so changed, and you do look pale."

"I think I like this idea." She said back, grinning and he kissed her cheek from behind. She giggled, her heart pounding and he lifted her up and laid her down on the bed.

"What was it you said, about men all over the universe wanting beautiful women in their beds?" He asked her, leaning over her and kissing her lips.

"It goes along with you wanting to leave evidence on the sheets that we did something in here." She laughed back, his hands cradling her cheeks as he kissed her again. She stopped, blinking at him and put her hand under the quilt, smiling at what she found. "They really are silk, very romantic."

"I knew you were going to check." He laughed and she giggled into his neck, his arms circling her as he kissed her again. She lay back, her hair falling over the black, emerald, and gold pillows like a cascade of shimmering wheat and her blue eyes shone with desire.

"Let's live, and never stop." She whispered, his hands holding hers and he nodded softly to her.

"I love you Elizabeth." He said, smothering her in kisses and she let a single happy tear fall down her cheek. He held out his hand, smiling at her and a diamond and Aemythist necklace dangled from his fingers. She gasped, looking at the dazzling gems and cradled the gold, leaf shaped pendant in her hand. She looked up at him, her eyes shining with the why she was given such a gift and he smiled.

"To replace the stolen one you told me of." He said, and she laughed as he waved his hand and it appeared around her neck.

"I did get it back, but I love this one too." She whispered, her hand finding his cheek and he turned toward the warm palm. He kissed it softly, and she blushed a bit. Her eyes on him as he slowly kissed the inside of her wrist, her breath catching in her throat and he grinned at her.

"You have done so much for me, almost sacrificing everything Loki. I... I love you." She said, meaning each word and he held her close to him and ran his fingers through her hair. She was so pure, and he felt like a stalking beast for her trust. He did not think he would ever have another love, and now it terrified him because of what he was.

How could any woman truly love the monster he hid behind this facade?


	28. Elizabeths Heart

Chapter 28.

They entered the hall together, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the hanging lanterns around them, and gasped at the colorful garlands of exotic flowers and ribbons. She gazed in wonder at everything and he grinned, unable to hide how endearing he found her nature. She turned on her toes, the rose colored gown that left her shoulders bare flowing with her movements. She stared at the Throne, her eyes taking in the grandeur of it and she returned to Loki.

"This... this is amazing! Why do they care anything about me?" She gasped, his eyes shining with mirth and he laughed.

"They care, because of a single brave act you did to preserve the life of Frigga, their Queen. And this, as you see, is most happily all for you." He said, his fingers lifting her chin and she saw the Old King approaching her. Loki let her go, and she lifted her skirts a tiny bit and she gave a polite curtsy. Noblewomen smiled in approval of her manners and Odin offered her his hand, she taking it and he smiled at her.

"Lady, I thank you for your act of great bravery as it preserved the life of my Queen, and has helped restore peace to all of the realms. If there is any favor I can grant you, all you need do is ask." Odin said and Liz bit her lip and let out a shaking breath. She swallowed, the one good eye of Odin studying her for a moment and Loki grinned at what she was going to ask.

"I wanted to ask if Loki and I could go back to my home on Earth. We talked about it, and we are happy there together." She said, and Odin's eye went wide. He glanced at the dark haired man, shaking his head and he let out a long breath.

"That cannot be granted. Loki must remain here as part of his release, he is far too dangerous to be allowed to roam free with no restraints." Odin said, Elizabeth clenching her jaw. "You may return when you are well enough to do so, with my blessing."

"Then why did you dump him on my farm?" She challenged the old man and a hush fell over the Hall, people stared in shock at her and waited on baited breath. "Last time I checked, I was not running a Prison Colony, nor was I even asked if I would look after him. He gave me his word that he could change, and he promised me that he would not go back to his darkness if I died. He helped Thor, on the condition of the apple that saved my life and he went willingly."

"You are toeing a fine line Lady Elizabeth, women with sharp tounges are not looked highly upon in this realm."

"It is a good thing I am from Earth then, we celebrate those women back home. We also do not threaten other planets, or dump so called "Dangerous Persons" on your planet. Why can't you show a little bit of faith in someone, or are you to bull headed to see beyond your nose." She bolted out, Loki grabbing her wrist and he giving Odin a nervous laugh.

"She does not know herself, forgive her." Loki said, trying to stop Liz before she said something truly damaging.

"He was weakened, hardly a threat to you. I will hear no more of this, Loki stays on Asgard." Odin said, and she worked her wrist free.

"Great, always an excuse. Then let me get one thing clear, when were you going to be honest with Loki? On your deathbed? Because he has been nothing but honest with me about himself, and I trust what he says more than I trust you right now." She said, Loki going still and Frigga covering her mouth in shock. The entire Hall fell into a gasp, Odin narrowing his eye at the woman and he leveled the spear at her. She flinched, her eyes going wide and he poked her in the stomach with the tip of it.

"You have offended me! How dare you question my authority, when I am being gracious to you!" He shouted, Loki not being able to stand by anymore. He stepped in front of Elizabeth, holding his hands out and he let out a long breath.

"You threaten an unarmed woman, King Odin. There is no honor in such an act, you have preached that yourself." Loki said, his voice calm and Elizabeth tried to pull him away. The people around them blinked at what he was doing, Thor walking forward and standing next to Loki. He crossed his arms, staring at his Father and he shook his head.

"There is no honor in that Father, Lady Elizabeth has now won the argument and I will also urge you to let Loki choose his own path. Otherwise, you risk loosing the favor of Midgard for your actions." Thor said, Odin watching as Frigga stepped over to her sons, her eyes filled with pride at the both of them amd she put a calming arm around Elizabeth. She smiled at the girl, taking one of her hands and she gave it a soft squeeze.

"I believe that Loki was happiest on Midgard with Lady Elizabeth, she has humbled him and has only extended her hand in friendship to our family. I find it detestable that it was met with slings and arrows, if any woman here were as brave as she, then I would be more than honored to call her daughter." Frigga said, Odin staring at his wife in shock and she kissed the girl's cheek. "I only ask that I might visit you both, amd perhaps learn from you about those fragrant flowers you grow. They smell so wonderful, and I would like some of the seeds to plant some in my garden."

"It is called Lavender, and I can get you plenty of seeds if you want them." Liz replied, her smile growing and she blushed at The Queen. "I can send you some of the products we make with it also, soaps, skin creams, candles, perfumes, linen sprays... Sorry, I was raised working with the plants."

"Do not be sorry dear, just know that you are always welcome to return with Loki at any time you wish. And I pray that you are both happy in your lives." Frigga said, looking at Odin. She held her hand out to Loki, he taking hers and she placed Elizabeth's in his. "Go on and dance, the night is for happiness, not quarrels. Go and be merry, Loki is a magnificent dancer."

"Yes... Mother." Loki said, and Frigga beamed at her as he guided Liz to the center of the room. He saw the worry on her face and he grinned, leaning close to her and he kissed her cheek.

"I will lead, just follow with me." He whispered into her ear and he looked at the hand on his arm. "That one goes on my shoulder, and the one you are holding mine with remains as it is."

He rested his hand on her waist, amd the music began. He guided her gently, letting her find her footing and they waltzed together, her eyes on his and he smiled at her. He gave her a wink, her eyes fixing on his chin and she blushed.

"I should not have said what I did. I almost got myself killed, I was stupid." She blurted out and he laughed a bit, her eyes fixing onto his.

"You are a fiery personality, and I adore that about you. I do have a feeling that we will be returning to your home however, and we have a great deal of work ahead of us." He said and she laughed. He frowned a bit at her, her head shaking at him. "Elizabeth... I... I am not fully Asgardian..."

"Loki." She said, her eyes filled with pain for him. "I already know that, remember how you helped me with Michael. The Universe is way more interesting with some people in it, and I don't care what you are. We make sense together, and I can't stop loving you for who you are, not what you are."

"You mean this?" He asked her and she rolled her eyes and they stopped dancing. She grinned at him, and she nodded.

"Of course I do, even if you are a pain sometimes. I want to stay with you forever, lay on my bed, stare at the stars after eating cheeseburgers, and when we get old and wrinkly, we can laugh at each others faults."

"We may never have wrinkles, but we will be able to laugh together if that is what you wish." He said, and she stepped up on her toes and kissed his lips. They did not care who saw, and they embraced each other in the crowd as a few persons had to dance around them. Frigga watched, a smile on her face as she folded her hands together as the visions she had began to come true.

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They laughed as they walked the halls, his hands on her waist and she bent over to take her shoes off and walked on in stockinged feet. His eyes were filled with mirth as she turned on her toes and her skirts flared around her like a flower blooming, his hands leaving her waist and she leaned against the doors to his Chambers. She laughed, her eyes shining and he put his hand on the door over her head and he leaned close to her and lifted her chin.

"I really should not be here, your mom would be so mad." She laughed, catching her breath amd he grinned down at her. He moved closer and claimed her lips, his mouth nudging hers open and she gasped at the contact.

"I know, but I would do anything to see you in much less." He grinned and she put a hand in the middle of his chest playfully. She waved a finger, warning him and trying to look serious as he grinned at her flirting.

"What about your vows to remain Cellibate? Did someone forget about those?" She said, and he leaned close to her ear and he slowly kissed up her neck.

"I want to end it with you." He purred against her skin and she shivered in delight at his words. She found the door handle behind her, opening the door and he lifted her off her feet and carried her to his bed. He waved a hand, the blankets turning themselves down and he lay her on it. His hand took her shoes, dropping them to the floor and he continued to kiss her, every slow, lingering caress of his lips teasing her as she wrapped her arms around his back and pulled him close to her.

"I love you." She gasped, his head coming up and he smiled at her as he kissed her lips again.

"I am yours Elizabeth. Forever." He said, and she laughed and stopped him with a finger on his lips before he kissed her again.

"Only forever?" She asked and he laughed around her finger.

"And ever after." He replied and he claimed her heart. The stars through the windows witnessing their act, and when she fell asleep in his arms after. He ensuring that every moment was bliss for Elizabeth, and his gentle ministrations made her feel like a true Goddess.


	29. Loki's Confession

Chapter 29.

He woke first the next morning, Elizabeth in his arms and her body covered by the sheets of silk. Her hair fell over the pillows in soft waves, shining like unsown wheat in the autumn fields. His hands caressed her shoulders and he watched her sleep, his index and middle fingers moving a bit of stray hair out of her face as she stirred and blinked at him. She smiled, her hand caressing his chin and he smiled at her gently.

"I think we slept too late." She laughed as she stretched, he grinning crookedly at her and she turned onto her stomach and stretched her toes. He sat up, pulling aside the covers and he blinked at the blood on the sheet and he worried a moment at it.

"Did I hurt you?" He asked her and she shook her head and blushed. She took his hand, pulling him toward her and she held it to her chest. She remained under the sheet as if shy suddenly, and she kissed his hand softly.

"Only a tiny bit. It felt like a pinch, but then it was really nice." She whispered back, calming Loki and she giggled a bit. "I could not have asked for a better, or magical first time."

"I am glad then. I don't want any more suffering to come to you, I want you to only know peace." Loki replied, caressing her cheek as he kissed her. Her fingers traced over his neck, gliding down to his shoulder and he stopped her. He pressed the hand to his lips, his eyes smiling at her and she giggled.

"I will draw you a bath, if we remain here, I may not want to leave this bed." He teased and he handed her his tunic so she could cover herself. She pulled it over her head while he found his pants, pulling them up over his hips and she lay back to wait for him to tell her the bath was ready. Images of the previous night danced through her mind, she blushing at the memories she held onto and she watched to door near her to open. She felt a little sore, but it was not as bad as she expected it to be. Remembering how Sara complained for months after she had sex for the first time in High School, her complaints of how she hurt through the whole thing making her nervous. Continuing to complain the week after, wincing as she sat in class. This was so very different though, but then again, Loki was no fumbling teenaged boy and he knew what to do to make her comfortable.

She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling light as a cloud at the thought of her new lover when the door opened and he emerged. He smiled at her, lifting her off the bed and carried her into the next room. The warm bath waiting as he set her down, and she blushed at his staring at her in his shirt.

"That is a sight of true beauty." He whispered, and he kissed her forehead before he left her to her privacy.

"I don't have a dress to put on after my bath. Can you bring in my slip?" Liz asked, he bowing and she laughed at him. He left the room, closing the door behind him, and he left her to relax for a while. He blinked at his bed, remembering in his own way what had happened and he grinned to himself as Frigga knocked and entered. She had worry on her face, and she stopped short when she saw the gown on the floor, and she pushed past him to the bed and lifted the sheets.

"I was worried about her, she did not return to her chambers last night. Now I see where she was." She said, her lips pressing together. "Do I need to warn you about this, what it could mean to her if she falls with child?"

"I am aware of the consequences, and I plan to address them should anything of that nature happens. You should not worry about her, she was very happy this morning and reluctant to vacate the comforts of my bed." He sighed, the reality Frigga threatened him with weighing on his shoulders. He waved the Maid in, looking at the tray of food and watched as she busied herself picking up the discarded clothes. She curtsied, leaving them and ran to get Liz a clean dress for the day.

"Will you ever think beyond your own self? That woman is still so very fragile of heart, she has been through much these few days. What if Odin decides that you should be imprisoned again? What if you are not allowed to leave Asgard and he sends her back to Midgard?" Frigga asked Loki, her hands gesturing and her face drawn as another Maid entered with a dress and underthings for Elizabeth and she left them on the table. She stripped the bed then, clearing away the dirty sheets and spreading fresh linens over them and she pretended to not hear a single word of what they were discussing.

"I will find away to be with her, do not doubt that. She is meant for me, as I am meant for her." Loki said, he turning toward a window and staring out it at the birds flying by. "I would defy Valhalla itself to stay with Elizabeth, she holds my heart in her tender hands Mother."

"You truly love her." Frigga said, her hands folding over her chest and she smiled at her son. She concentrated a moment, a glow filling her hands and she opened them as he turned and looked down at the delicate gold ring that lay in them.

"What is this?" He asked her and she smiled at him, handing him the gold and diamond ring and smiling.

"I told myself, when you were a child, that your bride would get the only thing my Mother left me before she died. That was her ring, and now it belongs on another finger." She said, her eyes filled with tears. "Thor was my son by birth, but you became mine by choice."

His mouth fell open and his eyes burned as he blinked, the door to the Bathing Chamber cracked and Liz slipped out in his robe, the long sleeves covering her hands and the garment hanging around her feet. Frigga saw her blush in embarassment, and she saw the dress on the table. She waved, and Loki grinned as he laughed to himself.

"I was interrupted before I could bring these, I am so sorry Liz." He said and she nodded. He picked up the clothes, walking them to her and she waved to Frigga shily.

"Good morning dear, I imagine Loki wishes to start his day as well. Enjoy the sights that Asgard has to offer Lady Elizabeth." She said, leaving them both alone as she walked to the doors and Liz groaned.

"That was so akward." She sighed into her hands, turning red. He laughed, taking a hand and guiding her to sit at the table, and sat gingerly in the cushioned seat. He frowned a moment, and she waved to him that she was fine, reassuring him and she smiled at the food in front of them.

"Eat, you need your strength." Loki chided gently, kissing her forehead and she looked up at him. He could see she was still embarrassed by Frigga finding them, and he calmed her gently with a single caress of her cheek. " She still adores you, don't fret. She is more worried that I ruined your virtue than anything."

"I know, and you didn't. I wanted it fully, and would do it again." She said, smiling at him as she giggled a bit. He helped her sit at the table, serving her a plate of food and they laughed together, forgetting the proximity of death to the both of them not so long ago.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She laughed, running after Loki as he ran ahead of her in the field of wheat. They spent the day exploring the library, then the Royal Gallery where she teased his portrait a bit and made him laugh. Then then walked together to the market, and he showed her the Stables where she played with the horses and he watched her in amusement. Now they were away from the Castle, feeling freedom as they both laughed at their game of chase. They ran between the rows of corn, coming out into a field of tall grass and wildflowers and he heard her gaining on him. Her breath catching in her chest, and her heart pounding as she tripped and tumbled to the ground. Loki paused, looking back and ran back to Elizabeth in concern. He fell to a crouch next to her, finding she was not hurt and she sat up slowly.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me." She said, catching her breath and she giggled a bit at his expression.

"I will worry about you, it is now my duty to do so." He asked her, moving a curl of hair out of her face with his fingers and she smiled at him. She waved his hand away, his worry that she was loosing affections for him creeping in and she lay back in the grass.

"Don't, I have never felt so alive before in my life. This is so wonderful, being here and everything you showed me." She laughed, her voice swelling with excitement. "I thought the dragon was amazing, I was almost floored by the flying boats!"

"Skimmers can be quite the attraction to a person who has never seen them before, I am happy to have been the one to share this with you." He said, swallowing hard and he picked a blade of the tall grass. He tickled her nose with the end of it, and she swatted at it a bit and laughed.

"Everything here is like a fairytale, or a really good dream I don't want to wake up from. I almost want you to pinch me, just to make sure I am awake." She said then, his face falling as she lay staring at the sky. He tossed the grass aside, letting out a long breath and he took her hand.

"Elizabeth... I have a confession to make to you. And I pray you only keep what I have to say to yourself." He said, and she sat up and looked at him. She let him hold her hand, placing her other one over the back of his and he looked at the grass around them. "All of what happened, on your planet. It occured because I was tortured by a being that whished to claim a stone of power. They... they made me feel pain without laying a hand on me, convinced me of things that I though already true. They forced me to believe that I could never be loved, and that no person would ever care for me at all. They... they stripped me of my pride, and made me a hate filled being... I... I killed your family, never thinking I could ever have a person as kind as you enter my life."

Elizabeth turned his head, using her thumbs to wipe his tears away and she wrapped her arms around him. She did not say a single word, but held him as he gripped at the back of her dress and cried into her chest. His body shook, and she ran her hands over the back of his head. Her heart the only sound he could hear as she gently rocked him as he wept bitter tears of regret.

"Its okay, everything will be better Loki." She said, his face turning to hers and he was shocked to see her smile. She kissed his forehead, smoothing his hair and he saw nothing but love in those azure orbs.

"I'm a monster Elizabeth. I brought pain and suffering to your world..." he started, but she stopped him with the tips of her fingers on his lips.

"You were tortured, convinced that there was nothing better for you. No matter how strong anyone is, there is a breaking point, and you reached it." She said, and kissed his lips softly. "The past is the past, and you have to leave it there or it will consume you. When I saw you in that field that night, I saw how scared and alone you looked. You were hurt, cold, and covered in mud. All I wanted to do was help you get better, I did not expect to fall in love. And when I saw the pain in your eyes every day, I wanted to live so that you feel something more than what you were. You are more than your anger, more than whatever you were forced to believe. You can do such amazing things, create new dreams, new hopes, and even make me feel like a Princess when I am just a girl in a fancy dress."

His mouth fell open at her words, his eyes staring at her and he sat back from her embrace for a moment. His mind unable to believe the acceptance she had given him, and how she was so gentle. He looked at her again, her face patient and her hair shining in the sun as he leaned forward and kissed her. His arms wrapping around her and she lay back in the grass again. His hands found hers, his fingers weaving between her fingers and he kissed her deeper.

"I love you, Elizabeth." He said, his forehead against hers and she smiled up at him. Her fingers tightened on his and he leaned over to kiss her again, her lips so warm against his as she whimpered into his mouth. He pulled away, afraid that he had hurt her and he found her smiling up at him softly.

"I was trying to say that I loved you back." She whispered, he laughing at her and she blushed a bit as he helped her sit up. She leaned close to him, the both of them sitting for a long while in silence as the sun began to set over the horizon. She sat between his legs, her back reclined against his chest as the stars began to come out. Neither one of them wanting to leave that spot, and she gasped as she saw a shooting star pass over them.

"You can see so many stars here." She whispered, her eyes on the darkening sky and he smiled at her observation. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, trying to keep her warm as the temperature dipped with the sun, but she shivered a bit still. He kissed the top of her head, giving her a little nudge and she laughed a bit.

"We should you back, you are cold." He said softly and she nodded as she shifted toward him. She stood up gingerly, watching him stand and he helped her back into the Skimmer before he guided it back toward the city. He wanted to show her the falls, but it would have to wait until the next day. He looked down at her to see her find a blanket and wrap it around her shoulders, warming herself under it and he laughed as they shot over the fields.

"Stay low, the hull will shield you from the wind." He said and she sat in her seat as they pushed toward his former home. The spires of the castle came into view, and he slowed as they arrived. His eyes falling on a yawning Elizabeth and he brought the vehicle to a halt. She smiled back at him, standing and he helped her out of the vehicle and they both walked along the halls. Playfully, she leaned against her door and grinned at him.

"I guess this is where I say goodnight?" She giggled and he leaned close to her, his hand on the stonework and he grinned. His nose hovered over her hairline, slowly placing a kiss on her forehead.

"Unless... you wish for me to dine with you." He said and she tapped her chin, flirting with him and she giggled.

"I don't know, dining leads to cuddling and kissing, and kissing leads to being all naked and sweaty." She teased, he grinning at her and he leaned close to whisper in her ear.

"A divine notion if you ask me, especially if it is with you." He replied and she opened the door behind her, grabbing his collar and pulling him in the door after her. They fell onto the couch, their lips meeting and Elizabeth giggled as she turned her head and saw Frigga sitting on the couch by the fire with some needlework. She raised an eyebrow, laying the hoop in her lap and she let out a small cough. Loki looked at his Mother, his eyes going wide and he sat back and let Liz sit up. She turned red slowly, her eyes going wide and the Queen stared back at them in amusement.

"Mother..." Loki said, straightening his vest and Elizabeth covered her face.

"Yes Loki?" Is there anything I might help the both of you with, perhaps directions to Elizabeth's Chambers and you to yours?" She replied, her face serene and Elizabeth hid a giggle.

"I am... I am next door. Sorry, they all look the same. The doors I mean." She replied, both of them standing up and running toward the doors. They burst into the hall, both of them laughing and Loki flipping his hair back.

"How could you have made that mistake? Did you see her face?" He asked her and she bit her lip as she laughed. She counted the columns again, groaning as she walked to her door and she laughed as she leaned against the wood.

"I counted the columns wrong! Oh my god, I can't believe we made out in front of your mom!" She laughed, her face turning red and he hugged her as she laughed. He leaned them both against the wall, wiping tears from his eyes and he fought the urge to laugh harder.

"At least... at least she was calm about the scene." He said, clearing his throat. "Shall we try this again?"

"Should I make sure we are at the right door first?" She asked, her eyes on him and he turned the latch and poked his head around it. He peeked back at her, grinning and he nodded.

"These are yours." He said, opening the door and guiding her inside. She sat at the set table, tucking into her meal and he joined her. Their meal uninterrupted until he left her for the evening, urging her to sleep well.


	30. The Crystal Falls

Chapter 30.

Elizabeth held onto Loki as she rode behind him on the jet black horse, her cloak fluttering behind her as she laughed. His heels urging the Stallion on, and his teeth gritted against the wind. Her arms tightened, and he grinned to himself at her thrill. He felt so alive with her, as if all his past melted away and left him renewed. His gloved hand tightened over hers, holding it and refusing to let go. He arrived to the stopping point shortly, slowing the horse and glanced over his shoulder at her. She peeked over she shoulder at him, her smile wide and she laughed again.

"That was so much fun." She cheered, he snorting at her reaction and he gave her a wink.

"Almost as much a thrill at that Motorcycle you possess, but a bit less dangerous." He replied, she patting his breastplate with one hand as the horse walked down the path.

"You enjoyed the freedom of it, don't lie."

"I may have, but what I want you to see today is far more astounding than any wonder on your planet." He laughed, she sitting up to try and peek over his shoulder. He stopped the horse, slipping from the saddle and he helped Elizabeth down. She took a moment to let feeling come back to her feet, straightening her blue skirts and she watched him remove a bit of heavy silk from his coat. She eyed him with suspicion, and he walked behind her slowly.

"What is that for?" She asked, he placing the blindfold over her eyes and he grinned as he carefully tied it off. He took her hands, leading her down the path and toward the falls. He walking backwards with her, taking slow steps as he guided her around an uneven patch of ground.

"I want this to be a suprise, it has always been my favorite place in all of Asgard. Mother brought me here often as a child, and I continued to return after I was able to ride out alone." He said, his hand falling on her waist before she could trip over a tree root. He held her close, keeping her safe and she grinned in the direction of his voice.

"Please, don't let me fall." She whimpered, her free hand out in front of her. She could hear the crashing water, her eyes shut and she opened her mouth at the roar. It was as if a freight train was passing by, and hauling fire on the back of it. He stopped her, bracing her and she felt him step back. Fear took her, and she began to tug at the blindfold, his voice calming her and she waited.

"In a moment, just stay there Elizabeth." He shouted over the noise and she put her hands out to feel anything that may tell her what was happening. Her fingers searched, coming in contact with something hard, yet smooth as glass. She felt toward the top of it, finding it tapered with bevels of a sort and she frowned.

"Loki! What is this?" She asked, her hands touching the mass in front of her and she felt his hands untying the blindfold.

"Let me show you." He said into her ear, the world becoming bright and she blinked in the sun. In front of her was a piece of quartz nearly as tall as she was, sparkling in the sun. She gaped at it, her eyes falling on the cliff of massive crystals, and the waterfall that exposed them over thousands of years. Her eyes gaped wide, and she stared in awe of the rainbows created by the mist that rose above them. She covered her mouth with both hands, turning back to Loki and she saw him standing in awe himself.

"It's... It's the most beautiful thing I have ever seen!" She exclaimed, he smiling at her and she walked toward another towering column of crystal. "This is amazing! I can't believe this exists!"

"It does, it is not a dream at all." He replied, laughing a bit at her wonder. She touched the mist slicked edge of a tower, her hands sliding over it and she blinked at how the sun hit it and refracted on the ground to become a rainbow. She stepped back, the wind blowing the mist aside and she found herself standing on dozens of the projections. She turned, the skirts of her dress flaring as she held her hands out to catch the light and she laughed as they vanished as the mist closed back in.

"Thank you, for bringing me here, and trusting me with your favorite place. This is so wonderful, I... God I love you." She said, turning to see him leaning against a crystal with his arms crossed. He nodded at her, a smile on his lips and she stared up at the massive stones again. "I think, that if anyone were to describe something so magical, this would be the place."

"I knew you would appreciate it, I could tell that about you." He said, and she walked back to him and hugged him around his waist. She smiled, her eyes shining and she kissed him softly.

"I do, not because it is so beautiful, but it is something you loved so much." She replied. She leaned against him, his arm around her as they stood and stared at the falls some more. He looked down at the top of her head, the droplets of water collecting in her hair like diamonds and he let out a contented breath. It was so easy to just exist near her, and he never wanted to let it go. He concentrated, summoning the ring Frigga had given him and he felt it enter his free hand and he licked his lips nervously. He felt a bit of trepidation, but let out a shaky breath as he found the right words.

"I brought you here for another reason Elizabeth." He started, knowing now there was no turning back. She looked up at him, her expression curious and she smiled as she brushed some hair out of her face. He had a terrible feeling in his stomach that she would refuse him, and he tried to push that feeling aside and she smiled gently.

"What?" She giggled, her eyes shinning.

"I love you, and never want to loose you. You are the most gentle, kind woman I have ever met, and I fear loosing any part of you." He said, her eyes looking down at the ring laying in the palm of his hand. Her eyes filled with tears, and she put her fingers over it gently. "Would you honor me, by being my wife?"

She stood in mute shock, her heart beating faster than she could breathe and a tear traced over her cheek. She looked up at him, forcing her voice to come and she nodded before she could speak.

"Yes." She said, her eyes on his and he felt his own heart start beating again. Her closed his hand over the ring, holding her shoulders and he looked at her in shock.

"You will? You agree?" He asked her and she laughed, taking his face in both of her hands and kissing him. She nodded, her smile growing and he opened the hand again to put the ring on her finger. She laughed, her eyes wide and he kissed her again, his arms around her and she laughed into the mist as he lifted her off her feet and he turned with her in his arms.

"Don't drop me!" She laughed, her hands holding onto his arms and she threw her head back amd laughed. He let her slip down and her held her, his lips pressing against hers and he smiled as they seperated.

"Never. I swear it. I shall worship you for all time." He said, a tear falling down his cheek in joy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They ran the halls together, Loki stopping so that she could catch her breath amd he laughed back at her. She leaned against a column, her hand at her chest and she flushed with excitement. She ran ahead of him, he chasing after and they saw Frigga standing in the hall. She smiled at the both of them, Jane frowning at their arrival and Liz held her hand out in excitement.

"He asked me and I said YES! We are getting married!" She shouted, her smile brighter than the sun itself and Frigga clapped her hands. She smiled, embracing the girl and she laughed as she turned to Loki.

"I am so very happy for you, I cannot wait to see you both bound to eachother." She said, Jane crossing her arms and Elizabeth turned on her toes and laughed.

"I thought she would say no, but her smile was all I needed to know she would not reject me." Loki said, Liz planting her hands on her hips and she waved a finger at him.

"Of course I would say yes! Have some faith in yourself." She scolded, Frigga laughing at her and she embraced Loki. He hugged his Mother back, the Queen hiding a tear that fell from her eye.

"Well, I see now who I should place in charge of preparations. Dear, she is truly for you and you for she." Frigga said, still holding her son. Jane rolled her eyes, shifting on her feet and she let out a huff.

"Didn't he murder your family or something, or did you forget all about that? I really don't see how you would want to be with that monster." Jane said, Loki's face falling and Liz stood speechless at the other women's words. Liz blinked at her in mute shock, her eyes wide and she shook her head.

"He is not a monster." Liz gasped, her attention returning to Loki and he swallowed hard as he turned on his heel and began walking away. Liz chased after him, shooting a look at Jane as she ran to catch up. Her hand catching his and he stopped, his eyes filled with rage.

"What?" He snapped at her and she backed up a bit out of instinct. She shook her head, her voice getting lost and she held his hand tighter for a moment.

"You are not a monster." She said to him, her eyes wide and he continued to walk away from her. She refused to let go of his hand, he pausing and trying to pull it back but she closed her other hand over his. "You are not a monster."

"Elizabeth, I have no time for this right now, do let go please." He said, she turning stubborn and she shook her head.

"No. Because you are not a monster, and I am going to repeat that until you believe it for yourself. Jane is wrong, and I am right in this." She said, he looking at her and he turned. She shifted her hands to let him go, but he shook his head and began walking again. Liz bit down on her lip, standing in the hallway and she ran ahead of him and threw her arms out.

"You are not a monster." She said, stomping her foot and two Guards looked at her and blinked at her boldness. "You are Loki! The amazing person who can make birds out of thin air, and who shows me beautiful places, and makes me feel special by just being alive. You are the wonderful Prince who gave me an apple and saved my life, willing to throw your life away to be unselfish. You are... you are the hero of my fairytale, and you made me feel so alive after I thought I was lost."

"Elizabeth, stop being foolish. I call it change how I was born, I was a fool to think and being would accept me." He reasoned, his hands open to her and she shook her head again.

"I am not being silly! I refuse to let you believe that you don't matter, because you do! You... you changed my whole world, opened new doors for me, and gave me hope. Monsters don't do those things, they don't feel remorse for their actions or guilt. You feel all that and more, I don't care what that bitch said, you are not a monster!" She said again, her hands pushing at his chest and he grabbed her wrists. She looked at him, her eyes sad for him and he froze. "I know you better, and I was lost and you found me. Now I look at you... and I see... I see my home."

He wrapped his arms around her, her hands gripping at his overcoat and he held her. He did not care who saw them, and she clung to him with perfect trust. His head dipped to the part in her hair, kissing it and she held onto him as he tried to push her away.

"You are not a monster." She whimpered, her heart breaking that he believed that. "My favorite color is blue anyways."

"I know, and I will believe your words first from this moment on." He said, laughing at her a bit and he tried to pull her hands from his lapels gently. She held on, stepping her feet up on the toes of his boots and he raised an eyebrow at her actions. "I cannot possibly walk like this Elizabeth, let go."

"No." She said into his chest and he sighed, throwing his arms out and he grinned. He crouched a bit, cupping the backs of her thighs and he lifted her up over his shoulder. She squealed in shock, letting go of his coat, and he placed her belly over his shoulder. The Guards fought back laughter, and he felt her arms dangle down his back and she kicked a bit. "Wait! What are you doing?"

"Solving a problem." He said, making sure she was comfortable and she huffed as he settled her. "You refused to let go, and I need to see about a gown for you. I want to leave Asgard for Earth with my Wife, not any other way. This way, I can run my errand, and you stay with me. As you insist upon doing."

"Is this really practical?" She sighed, amd he shrugged a bit as he walked.

"You are light, and I do not see any reason why it would not be." He replied, grinning sheepishly, opening a door and walking through it. She crossed her ankles, Hogun and Sif staring in shock as he ducked a bit to not hit her head.

"Hi!" She waved, smiling at the two Warriors and she laughed. "Not being kidnapped, don't panic."

"It looks quite the opposite." Sif said and Liz laughed as Loki turned and groaned.

"We are planning a Wedding, hello Hogun." Loki said, Liz holding up her hand so they could see her ring. She giggled, Hogun knitting his brows and looking at the woman.

"I am just annoying, I am marrying him willingly!" Liz said, and Sif nodded as she looked at Loki a moment.

"Quite vexing, we are perfect for one another." Loki said, moving her cloak out of his face and he turned around and began walking on. Liz waved to them again, her face turning red and she laughed.

"Nice meeting you!" She called out, he opening the next door and ducking as he walked through it and Hogun let out a long breath. Sif looked at him, shrugging and they went back to their conversation as if it had not been inturrupted.


	31. New Beginnings

Chapter 31.

Elizabeth wrapped her arms around her new Husband, holding tight to him as he drove the horse through the city. Her gown of white, with long tapered sleeves fluttering as she laughed into his shoulder. The ceremony was done, and they only had eternity to look forward to together. He stopped the horse, dismounting and slapping it in the rump to urge the Stallion toward the stables. Elizabeth on his back, and he carried her through the halls. Frigga saw the couple, shaking her head as they passed toward his Chambers and she laughed to herself at her knowledge of what they had done. Elizabeth gazed into his eyes, and he into hers, the gold tiara she wore borrowed that morning from the Queen as her blessing toward the union shining in the light. He opened the door, using his heel to push it as he backed through the door and he carried her to his bed.

"This is not the true Royal Wedding we should have shared, I hope that..." Loki started and she stopped him, a finger on his lips and he grinned at her.

"It was perfect, I could not have asked for anything more magical." She chided gently, his eyes rolling and he moved her hand aside as he grinned at her. She giggled, scooting back from him as he gave a growl and she squealed. He reached for her ankle, and she playfully kicked back at him. His only prize becoming her shoe, and he crawled over the mattress toward her.

"Come here Wife," He laughed, his approach quite aggressive and she slapped at him in play. "I wish to have you."

"Behave yourself!" She snapped, his arms circling her waist and he pulled her to him as he lay on his back. She laughed, pushing up and he chuckled at her.

"Why should I? Do you know how tempting it is to be troublesome with a Wife as beautiful as you?" He asked her, her golden curls framing her face and she blushed at him. He smile grew, and she leaned close to kiss him.

"I think I can imagine, especially with such a handsome Husband." She replied, their lips meeting and she giggled as he rolled her onto her back. She felt his lips mark a trail down her neck to the wide collar of her gown, her hands holding his shirt and he kissed the tops of her breasts.

"Gods, Elizabeth. I love you, and never wish us to part." He said and she gasped as his hands found the silk ribbons that tied her gown shut up the back. She straddled his lap, her heart pounding when a knock came to the door and she pushed him back. He tied the gown back up quickly, letting her cover herself again and Odin entered. Rage filled is good eye, and Elizabeth held tight to Loki and he put and arm around her.

"You both defied my orders! You were to remain here to finish your penance, and you married the girl as a plot to leave Asgard with her! I should have her dragged back to Midgard in chains, and you in the Dungeon for this!" He bellowed, Elizabeth shaking under the rage of the Old King. Loki held her tighter, his arms around her and he pushed his new wife behind him.

"You have no right! We are bound eternally, to separate us is a torture not even Frigga could endure. You allow Thor his Mortal, even after he betrayed my trust! Should it not suprise you that I saved Elizabeth to keep her with me for all time? Or are you as blind as your missing eye when it comes to the Son of Odin?" Loki shouted back, Elizabeth slipping her shoe on and slipping off the bed. She backed against the wall, putting distance between herself and the two men.

"Why is everyone shouting?" Frigga asked, walking in the room and she saw the terrified woman in the corner. Odin turned on his Wife, his eye flashing and Frigga sighed at him.

"He defied me by marrying the girl so he could return to Midgard! Guards! Take Loki to the Dungeon and the girl to the Bifrost! See that she is sent back to Earth and stripped if her memories of Loki!" Odin shouted and the men entered, Elizabeth running toward Loki and wrapping her arms around him. She screamed, her hands slipping as the stronger men seperated the lovers and she held onto his hands as they pulled.

"No! Please! I don't... I can't forget him! Don't do this!" Elizabeth cried out, holding his wrists and crying as they pulled her away. She screamed his name as they dragged her across the room, and Frigga held up a hand and let her calm exterior drop.

"THIS WILL END NOW! LET ELIZABETH GO!" She shouted, the room falling silent and everyone gasping at the sudden outburst from the Queen. The Guards released Elizabeth, she running back to Loki and he holding her close to him as she cried into his shirt. He ran his hand over her hair, Frigga waving a warning finger at Odin.

"Frigga!" Odin said, his hand tightening on his staff and she silenced her Husband with a glare.

"Loki has married the woman he loves, and you will not allow her to be seperated from him, or manhandled in any manner. She is a Princess of the Realm now, and I gave them both my blessing to be married." She said, folding her hands and calming herself again. She walked to Elizabeth, taking the girl's hands and she kissed her cheek. "I am so very honored to have you as a daughter now, I believe you perfect for my Son. Have no fear, this storm will pass."

"He broke my Edict." Odin said and Frigga raised her hand in warning again, she kissed Loki, placing Elizabeth's hands in his and she smiled at them both.

"I should have a portrait of you both commissioned, in this pose, with the light behind you both." She smiled and said, her hands folding. "I will visit you both on Midgard, bring it to you to display in your home."

"Tha... Thank you Mother." Loki said, Odin staring with his mouth open and she smiled at them both. She walked back over, kissing Elizabeth's cheek and smiled at them both.

"We will take out leave then, show care, she is a delicate gem Loki." Frigga said, taking Odin's arm and leading him out of his chambers and the Guards followed them. Loki looked at Elizabeth in shock, the girl shrugging and she blinked at everything that had just happened.

"Shall we rest then? This day has been most strange." Loki said, Elizabeth nodding and pointing at the closed doors.

"She... She does not yell like that normally, does she?" Liz asked, and he shook his head. He looked at her, grinning and he laughed.

"I have never seen her shout like that before to be honest, I am glad it was not directed at me." He responded, laughing a bit and he lifted Liz up and carried her back to the bed. He lay her down, kissing her lips and she blushed as he lay next to her and began slowly kissing her. She put her forehead against his, licking her lips and she tugged at his overcoat.

"I like it slower anyways, I am sort of glad they stopped us." She giggled, and their lips met again, her heart becoming his as they lay together in the soft afternoon light.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Together they stood, the domed structure of the Bifrost above them as Loki slipped his hand into hers. She licked her lips nervously, looking up at him amd she shook a bit as they stood in wait.

"Frightened?" He asked her and she nodded, her eyes wide with her trepidation. He squeezed her hand, putting an arm around her and he pulled her close to him.

"Terrified." She replied, her lips attempting to form a smile and he nodded to the gatekeeper. He performed the task quickly and Loki held her to him and refused to let go.

"Dont be, for after this moment we are each other's alone. I have you also, amd will not fault you if you become ill." He replied and she nodded, her eyes closing as the pull of the Bifrost took them away from Asgard and sent them back to Earth. Back to the home they made, and one they would make great with hope and love. The home that Loki craved his entire life, and would refuse to ever let go of.

As they vanished into the vast cosmos, Elizabeth managed one statement and it was only partially heard by Heimdall, but it brought a smile to his face. He would keep this one a secret, and he returned to his watch over the vast stars. He thought about those simple words, and he grinned to himself at how much meaning they held for Loki amd Asgard alike.

"My home is where you are." Was he last words, and she meant each one of them.


	32. Epilogue: A Dream Within a Dream

Epilogue.

_Eight Years Later_

Loki stood, removing the Straw Cowboy hat he wore and wiping the sweat from the back of his neck with a cloth. He put the newest bundle of harvested Lavender in the basket, hearing something run toward him and he pretended to not hear it. He poured some water from a bottle over his head, running his fingers through his now waist length hair and he waited with a grin on his face. With a feral shout, something wrapped around his legs and he laughed as he poured the contents of the bottle over a blonde head of thick curls like her mother's. The child holding his legs squealed, giggling as she shook her hair and he scooped her up in his arms and began tickling her.

"I see a feral Maggie Monster has caught me, but she does not realize that I always keep aware of my surroundings!" He said, gritting his teeth and laughing as the little girl of six in cotton Levis squirmed to get loose. She squealed as he continued to assault her sides, kicking her feet and she yelled out.

"Stop Daddy! Mommy wanted me to tell you that dinner was ready!" The laughed, Loki looking down at his daughter as he set her between the rows of plants. She pulled at her Disney Princess shirt, distorting the smiling faces of the three women on it. The legend "My Daddy says I am a Princess" silkscreened on the blue blouse.

"Is it now? I suppose I better bathe then, we don't want her looking for me." He replied, picking up the basket and putting it on top of the items in his wheelbarrow. He lifted the girl then, letting her ride on his shoulders and she sat and held onto his head.

"Mommy said she has a suprise for both of us too? She said it was really big." Magaret said, patting his hat and he grinned to himself. He had an idea of what it could be, and he smiled to himself as he walked on.

"I wonder what it could be? Do you think she baked us a cake as a suprise, or do you think we may be going on a vacation somewhere?" He asked and Maggie leaned over and whispered into his ear.

"She said she found out about the suprise when she went to the doctor for her sad tummy. She was giggling and looking at her belly in the mirror." The girl told him and he grinned, laughing to himself. He took his items to the barn, leaving the basket on the table to dry the lavender later and he washed his hands and face in the deep sink. Maggie gave him a towel, and he dried his face on it, smiling at the girl.

"I do believe we have quite the change coming our way then. Did you mind your teachers in school and finish your homework?" He asked her, lifting the child back up and holding her as she squirmed in his arms.

"I did. And I got a gold star on my spelling test!" She announced, Loki kissing both her cheeks and grinning at her. Liz walked toward him, she smiling at both of them and he held out an arm for her.

"You are a brilliant girl Maggie, my true star." He said and looked at Liz. "Our daughter tells me that you have a suprise for us."

"Traitor!" Liz said, tapping her daughters nose and she laughed. "Do you think I should tell you now, or make you both wait?"

"Don't make us wait Mommy!" Maggie shouted, crossing her arms and Loki chuckled at the green eyed child. "That is mean!"

"Yes Elizabeth, that is mean." Loki mirrored and Liz smiled softly. She took an envelope out of her pocket, handing it to Loki and Maggie stared at it opened mouthed. He opened the flap, slipping the page out of it and read what the card inside said. His eyes lit up, amd he grinned as he hugged Elizabeth close to him.

"What does "Pregnant" mean?" Maggie asked, and Liz laughed into his shirt. He kissed the part in her hair, smelling her shampoo and chuckled.

"It means that you are going to be a big sister." Loki said, amd the little girl clapped her hands. "When does the baby come? Can I name it?"

"I think we will have to tell Maggie about about where babies come from. Be prepared for about a million questions." Liz said and Loki shrugged, his arms around his family as he laughed. The only thing mattering was the joy he felt in that moment, and the three lives he held close to him. His family, stitched together one piece at a time and his, until the sun burned out.


End file.
